Joshua Josephs Scouting Report

Joshua Josephs’ quickness, combined with his overall athleticism, should allow him to contribute early in his career as a pass rusher.

Draft Grade: Round 3 - Adequate Starter

Strengths:

Quick First Step: Josephs showcases a quick first step as a pass rusher. This quickness at the snap allows him to get upfield quickly and gives him a chance to beat offensive tackles around their outside shoulder. Josephs' speed forces offensive tackles to get depth in their pass sets quickly, which also opens up opportunities for counter moves to the inside.

Overall Athleticism: During his time at Tennessee, Josephs was used in multiple alignments throughout the front seven and was effective due to his athleticism. He can be moved inside as a stand-up defender over the center or guard, rushing from those positions while showing good reactionary athleticism and the ability to change direction. Josephs can also drop into coverage on passing downs, effectively covering the hook-curl or curl-to-flat areas and playing in space.

High Motor/Effort: Defensively, Josephs is a high-effort player on every down. As a pass rusher, he consistently works through initial moves into counters and will change rush lanes to reach the quarterback. As a run defender, Josephs will chase down ball carriers from the backside of the play to make the tackle. He is a true sideline-to-sideline player.

Concerns:

Setting the Edge: Josephs measured in at the combine at 240 pounds, which could make it difficult for him to consistently battle with offensive tackles in the trenches; he may struggle to win those physical engagements. In the run game, offensive tackles with superior size and physicality have the opportunity to move Josephs off the line of scrimmage and control the rep.

Lower-Body Tightness: Josephs' lower-body tightness is evident when he is rushing the quarterback. When he reaches the apex of the rush arc and needs to "bend the corner," he struggles at times to make a sharp, defined turn. This results in him occasionally running past the quarterback or giving the passer enough space to step up in the pocket. Josephs' lower-body tightness makes his turns wider than necessary, resulting in missed sack opportunities.