2016 NFL Draft: West Virginia’s Karl Joseph Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
Karl Joseph is a big-time prospect who will make an early impact in the NFL.
West Virginia’s Karl Joseph is a tone setter who brings an aggressive edge to the defense. He plays with his hair on fire and is always in pursuit of the football. Joseph has a knack for always being around the football and making game-changing plays.
This is an explosive athlete who can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. His instincts allow him to make quick reads and put himself in proper position. Against the run, Joseph takes proper angles and doesn’t hesitate to attack the line of scrimmage.
He’s a versatile defender in that he can play the deep middle and drop down to cover in the slot. His combination of speed and instincts allows him to cover sideline to sideline when asked to play the role of a center fielder. He often comes out of nowhere to generate a pass breakup or grab an interception.
Joseph isn’t just an explosive athlete but he also features good balance and fluid hips. This is why he’s able to hold up in man coverage working out of the slot. He’s more than capable of keeping in-phase with the shifty slot receivers he’ll face in the NFL.
His coverage ability often gets overlooked because he’s such a physical presence and big hitter. However, Joseph will need to be careful at the next level to ensure he’s not penalized for unnecessary roughness issues.
Another area of concern is Joseph’s lack of ideal height. This may cause issues when he’s asked to match up against tight ends or bigger receivers. Someone like a Rob Gronkowski will easily be able to use his size to box Joseph away from the ball.
However, his aggressiveness and instincts make his lack of size less of an issue. He knows how to put himself in good position to make a play on the football.
Draft Range- Early 2nd Round