Tyvon Branch is not the most celebrated player in the Cardinals' secondary, but through four games, he's arguably been the best.
The veteran had another fantastic game against the 49ers on Sunday, and as a result has moved atop Pro Football Focus' safety rankings with a 91.1 overall grade. Branch had nine tackles, a forced fumble and a pair of quarterback hits against San Francisco, finishing with a team-best 88.8 grade.
That type of standout play has been a common occurrence this year. While Branch may not have the name cachet of a Patrick Peterson or Tyrann Mathieu, he's been an integral piece to the defensive success. Injuries were a big reason for his struggles last year, but even at full strength it was hard to imagine getting this type of performance from Branch.
"Tyvon, being healthy, has been fantastic," coach Bruce Arians said. "He's probably the most consistent player we have on defense right now."
Branch took a paycut this offseason after making minimal impact in 2016. At a salary of $2.2 million, he's been a tremendous value.
