Brian Branch had to wait an extra day, but he finally heard his name called Friday night when he was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 45 overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.

The Alabama defensive back was one of 17 draft-eligible players to attend the first round of the draft in Kansas City but slipped out of the first round Thursday night. He returned Friday to hear his name called out. Branch joins former Alabama teammate Jahmhyr Gibbs, who was drafted by the Lions with the No. 12 overall pick.

Branch’s selection marks the 12th straight year Alabama has had a defensive back selected in the NFL Draft. Over that span, 19 Crimson Tide have been drafted.

Branch started all 13 of Alabama’s games last season at the STAR position. The 6-foot, 190-pound defender led the team with two interceptions while also boasting a team-high 89.5 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus. He finished second on the team with 14 tackles for a loss while ranking third in tackles (90) and pass deflections (7). In addition to his defensive production, he returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown against Louisiana-Monroe.

Perhaps the biggest play of his junior season came at Ole Miss when he dove to break up pass in the end zone on fourth-and-16 with 48 seconds left in the game to help seal a 30-24 victory for the Crimson Tide.

Over three seasons at Alabama, Branch started 23 games, including 19 at the STAR position and four at safety. During Alabama’s Pro Day last month, Nick Saban said he felt confident the versatile defender could handle either position at the next level.

“Brian Branch was an outstanding player for us,” Saban said. “He's a fine young man, played, really, really well for us. Very instinctive. The guy played with great intangibles, lots of toughness. Very disciplined guy. He's a real team guy and I think he'll have a great career.”