Alabama defensive back Brian Branch went to the NFL Draft on Thursday night to hear his name called in the first round, walk on the stage with the crowd cheering, have his picture taken with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and get interviewed on national TV.

It didn’t happen.

Seventeen first-round prospects attended the first round of the draft in Kansas City, Missouri. Four didn’t get picked, including Branch.

But except for hearing his name in the first round, Branch did all those things anyway because he came back on Friday night, and the Detroit Lions selected him in the second round with the 45th overall pick.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Branch said in explaining why he returned. “Just to walk out on the stage, shake the commissioner’s hand, see the fans and how they react – I’m blessed just to be able to do that. …

“It was tough, just sitting in the room. You think you’re going to go Day 1, but I’m happy to be a Lion, and that’s the main thing right now. I can’t wait to keep going. I’m blessed to be where I’m at right now.”

When Detroit general manager Brad Holmes saw Branch still available, he made a trade to get in position to pick him. The Lions sent the 48th and 159th selections to the Green Bay Packers to move to No. 45.

“I didn’t think he was going to be there,” Holmes said, “but we were jacked that he was.”

Detroit has been overhauling its secondary this offseason.

The Lions traded cornerback Jeff Okudah, the third player picked in the 2020 NFL Draft, to the Atlanta Falcons. Safety DeShon Elliott joined the Miami Dolphins and nickel corner Mike Hughes went to Atlanta in free agency.

Versatile safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Cameron Sutton came aboard in free agency last month.

While Detroit values Branch’s ability to play throughout the secondary, Holmes said that wasn’t the No. 1 reason that the Lions drafted him.

“What stands out about Brian is just, I mean, if you had football player in caps in just black and white, that’s what he is,” Holmes said. “Just the way he plays the game, whether he is playing nickel – and that’s what he played the majority of his career there. He’s been more of a nickel than a safety. His nickel stuff is really good, and he’s one of the better tacklers that I saw on film this year from a defensive standpoint, especially for a DB.

“But he just plays the game like how we play it and like the style that we want to play. He’s very instinctive. He’s very physical. Like I said, he’s one of the better tacklers. He’s very athletic. The guy can bend, change directions. He’s got good size, and he was another one that when he came in on his visit just kind of looking him in his eye and you can just feel him. You can just feel that he wants to be great. That put it over the top for me.”

Branch said he would play anywhere the Lions wanted and thinks he has been well-prepared to do so.

“I have a bit of an advantage, I feel like, just because of the system I was in,” Branch said. “I was almost in a pro-style system, and (Alabama) coach (Nick) Saban’s taught me a lot of things. I’m just happy he was my coach, and I’m ready to apply it at the next level.”

Eight players were chosen from Alabama in the first three rounds of the draft, and the Lions took two of them. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs joined Detroit at No. 12 on Thursday night.

“Gibbs is a generational talent – Alvin Kamara 2.0,” Branch said about his college and now NFL teammate. “He does a lot of things that are unteachable and unguardable.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.