CB, Kentucky
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 192 lbs
Class: rs-Sophomore
Joseph was a four-star recruit in 2018 and the No. 2 ranked player in Louisiana. He began his career at LSU, where he played in 11 games as a freshman. A suspension and transfer saw him miss the entire 2019 season, before he emerged as one of the draft’s biggest risers with Kentucky this season.
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Strengths
From an athletic standpoint, Joseph has everything you want in a cornerback prospect. He has good short area quickness, as well as the long speed to cover vertical routes. He is a fluid mover, with smooth hips and the ability to turn and run with his man downfield. Joseph has quick feet too and he showed that he has all of the traits to mirror top receivers without any problems. He did an excellent job against Devonta Smith when they faced Alabama, not allowing a single yard on any of Smith’s three targets.
Joseph also possesses natural ball skills. Whilst his overall football intelligence could certainly improve, he is already excellent when it comes to making plays in coverage. In 2020 he racked up four picks on his 34 targets and had another pass breakup. Joseph is able to track the ball well downfield and disrupt consistently at the catch point. There were several reps on tape where he showcased the instincts to read the quarterback and break on the ball to make the play.
Joseph’s game is already very well-rounded. In addition to his coverage prowess, he has put together some encouraging tape as a run defender. He shows willingness to come downfield and make plays, with the necessary length to get off blocks. His tackling is superb too. Joseph packs a real punch to his hits, but he does a great job of wrapping up consistently in space. He had just three misses on 37 attempts in 2020.
Weaknesses
The biggest concern with Joseph is his immaturity, and this shows up both on and off the field. On the field there were numerous occasions where Joseph would take things too far and he had several personal foul penalties in 2020. Off the field is perhaps the more concerning aspect. Joseph was suspended at LSU for an undisclosed violation of team rules. There are suggestions that this was the result of a failed drug test. These issues continued at Kentucky when he told head coach Mark Stoops that he did not want to play against South Carolina. Stoops subsequently told him to opt out, telling the media “that’s not how we’re going to do this at Kentucky”.
The other issue is his instincts. Joseph is a one-year starter and this rawness shows on tape. He has a tendency to bite on double moves and needs to be more disciplined in coverage. This cost Kentucky on a number of occasions and Joseph allowed four touchdowns on his 34 targets in 2020. The high end plays are there, but Joseph needs to be more consistent to become a starter at the next level.
Bottom Line
Joseph is an excellent athlete, with all of the tools you want in a cornerback prospect. His 2020 tape was really encouraging and we saw a player with legitimate ball skills in coverage and a willingness to come down and play the run. He is still raw, but that is to be expected of a player with just nine career starts. The immaturity concerns will be an issue though and could see Joseph drop down draft boards.
Big Board Rank: #74
Positional Rank: #13
