April 27th, 2008

Branch selected with first pick in round 4

Although it came two round later than most expected, UConn cornerback/kick returner Tyvon Branch was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the first pick in the fourth round (100 overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Branch’s selection is the second highest for a UConn player in the modern era of the draft. Alfred Fincher holds the mark after being taken with pick No. 82 in the third round of the 2005 draft.

The Raiders, who hadn’t selected a player since taking running back Darren McFadden with the No. 4 pick in the draft, traded with the Dallas Cowboys to move up to the top of the round to select the Huskies defensive back.

Branch joins a crowded Oakland defensive backfield that just traded for Pro Bowl corner DeAngelo Hall from the Atlanta Falcons and already boasts three former first- or second-round picks, including the recently franchised Nnamdi Asomugha.

But the Raiders also traded away cornerback Fabian Washington, their first-round selection in the 2005 (No. 27 overall), to the Baltimore Ravens minutes after selecting Branch. This could open up some playing time for Branch on defense.

Regardless, he should inherit the second kick returner role next to Chris Carr immediately. Carr had a decent season returning kicks last year, accumulating 1,327 return yards, but the fellow defensive back did not record a touchdown and had 400 fewer yards on returns than he’d posted the past two years.

The ESPN crew also highlighted Branch after the selection, and draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. spent a good two minutes praising the pick and Randy Edsall for the progress he’s made with the program.

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