The 2026 Draft Thread - Day 3

Sounds pretty good
 
For what it's worth, NFL Draft Buzz had Joseph pegged as a 2nd rounder.

Sounds like a situational pass rusher.
 
8th ranked edge from the scouts


8. JOSHUA JOSEPHS, Tennessee (6-3, 243, 4.73, 2-3): Spent four seasons in Knoxville, starting 16 games (11 as a senior). “One of the top edge rushers in the draft,” one scout said. “Not a sexy rusher. He’s is a long-armed speed-to-power rusher who has consistently created vertical rush. He won’t get as much love as Zion Young because he doesn’t look as athletic nor will he get the love of Rueben Bain because the hype isn’t there. However, he has a chance to produce more than either one because his style will carry over to the NFL more efficiently. He’ll most likely go in the second round and should be a career starter capable of eight to 12 sacks per season due to his speed-to-power conversion and relentless motor.” Finished with 104 tackles (22 for loss), 9 ½ sacks, six forced fumbles and nine batted passes. Had a vertical jump of 38 1/2. Arms were 34 ¼, hands were 10. “Good athlete,” a second scout said. “He’s long, but not that big and can get washed off pretty quickly. He’s not going to run through everybody. Kind of wins with his athleticism more than he does anything else. You’ll see more speed to power out of him. He did not have a good interview so I know some teams will be worried with the character.” Four-star recruit from Kennesaw, Ga.
Well, if he really is a 2nd round talent and we got him in Round 5 than we should really see some pop from him come the summer.

Draft bio I read had him sounding a lot more raw and in need of time to fill out his frame, get stronger and develop more moves to vary his arsenal.

In other words a PROJECT.

But this write-up makes him appear as a guy that is going to help us in Year 1 as part of a rotation?

That would be a real trump if it happens.
 

Scouting Report: Weaknesses​

  • At 240 pounds, the lack of mass becomes apparent when power-profile tackles sit down and anchor against his rush, neutralizing his speed advantage.
  • Stiff ankles limit his ability to maximize bend around the corner, preventing him from fully utilizing his flexibility through his torso and knees.
  • Tight end chips and combo blocks collapse him inside far too easily, opening up outside run lanes that better anchored defenders would seal.
  • Tackling inconsistency is concerning with a 23.5% missed tackle rate, suggesting issues with technique or effort when bringing down ball carriers.
  • Sack totals have not matched his pressure rate throughout his career, indicating he struggles to finish plays when he wins his rep and reaches the quarterback.

Scouting Report: Summary​

Watch him play and you see an edge defender whose athletic profile makes coordinators drool. The combination of 4.6ish speed, 34-plus inch arms, and an 80+ inch wingspan creates a physical package that should translate immediately as a situational pass rusher at the next level. He wins with quickness and length off the snap, and his hand timing has improved markedly over the past two seasons. Tennessee deployed him primarily as a designated pass rusher for good reason, and NFL teams would be wise to follow that blueprint initially.

Here's the deal with Josephs: he's going to need time to develop into a complete three-down player. The tackling issues and anchor problems against power are real concerns that will show up against NFL offensive lines with better technique and more strength. His situational college usage, with only 17 career starts and 626 pass rush snaps over four years, means he hasn't been tested as an every-down defender against top competition. Teams with strong rotational philosophies will get more immediate value than those expecting a day-one starter who can handle 50-plus snaps.

A 4-3 scheme that can deploy him as a designated speed rusher on third downs makes the most sense initially, though he possesses the versatility to kick inside on obvious passing situations. As he adds functional mass and refines his technique against the run, the ceiling expands considerably. Defensive coordinators who specialize in matchup-based game plans will appreciate his ability to threaten tackles with speed while possessing enough moves to win inside when opponents over-commit to taking away the edge. The projection here is a productive NFL pass rusher whose long-term value depends entirely on whether he can add 15-20 pounds of good weight without sacrificing the explosiveness that makes him dangerous.




 
Feels like a true BPA pick for them, kind of happy to see it.

Bleacher Report guys (who I like to watch on Day 3 bc they actually talk in depth about every pick and trade as it happens) just said he’s not great against the run but may have the highest pass rushing upside in this class due to length and speed-to-power. They had him rated in the 80’s and graded this pick an A and a high-upside potential steal
 
Any insight on Joshua Josephs?

8.54 RAS
6-3, 242 (big time undersized)
1,3,2,4 sacks in his four seasons

Hadn't seen him so VERY fast watched a video.

Kinda lumbering.

Long arms, big wing span.

Tennessee loves to stunt him into the B Gap.

Not quick footed by any means.

Good get off.

Alot of his highlights seem to come when Tennessee is up by 30.

Seems to get neutralized by any decent OT he plays and he goes off on the backups.

Some of his highlight reels on YouTube is literally him getting blocked.

I don't know. I don't see the vision.
 
6 feet tall with 34 and half inch arms.

Ruben Bain must be like, w.t.f.

Oh hes 6'3 nevermind I misread that.
 
8th ranked edge from the scouts


8. JOSHUA JOSEPHS, Tennessee (6-3, 243, 4.73, 2-3): Spent four seasons in Knoxville, starting 16 games (11 as a senior). “One of the top edge rushers in the draft,” one scout said. “Not a sexy rusher. He’s is a long-armed speed-to-power rusher who has consistently created vertical rush. He won’t get as much love as Zion Young because he doesn’t look as athletic nor will he get the love of Rueben Bain because the hype isn’t there. However, he has a chance to produce more than either one because his style will carry over to the NFL more efficiently. He’ll most likely go in the second round and should be a career starter capable of eight to 12 sacks per season due to his speed-to-power conversion and relentless motor.” Finished with 104 tackles (22 for loss), 9 ½ sacks, six forced fumbles and nine batted passes. Had a vertical jump of 38 1/2. Arms were 34 ¼, hands were 10. “Good athlete,” a second scout said. “He’s long, but not that big and can get washed off pretty quickly. He’s not going to run through everybody. Kind of wins with his athleticism more than he does anything else. You’ll see more speed to power out of him. He did not have a good interview so I know some teams will be worried with the character.” Four-star recruit from Kennesaw, Ga.
Guess Styles will have to hold him accountable since there may be some attitude issues there but that was via the interviewing process.
 
Lemme guess

He was the top guy on our boards

We were thrilled that he fell

We had a second round grade on him

He's a competitor, a true Commander

He loves the game, high football IQ
 
If he’s still there in the 6th I’d love to see us grab Heidenreich, RB/WR from Navy.
 
I swear this happens every single year...

Guys we can't believe are sitting there to be taken late are passed on.

We proceed to pick someone else we aren't too familiar with.

We immediately associate it with being a bad pick because our guys weren't selected.

Player X, Y, or Z that we all wanted continue to get passed over by teams picking after us.

Sometimes teams just have more information than we do.
 
I swear this happens every single year...

Guys we can't believe are sitting there to be taken late are passed on.

We proceed to pick someone else we aren't too familiar with.

We immediately associate it with being a bad pick because our guys weren't selected.

Player X, Y, or Z that we all wanted continue to get passed over by teams picking after us.

Sometimes teams just have more information than we do.
Also, sometimes teams make bad picks.
 
Brutal run on centers right before our pick. Unbelievable. I think Center is even more so a major concern now. Might need to sign a Vet after cuts.
 
8th ranked edge from the scouts


8. JOSHUA JOSEPHS, Tennessee (6-3, 243, 4.73, 2-3): Spent four seasons in Knoxville, starting 16 games (11 as a senior). “One of the top edge rushers in the draft,” one scout said. “Not a sexy rusher. He’s is a long-armed speed-to-power rusher who has consistently created vertical rush. He won’t get as much love as Zion Young because he doesn’t look as athletic nor will he get the love of Rueben Bain because the hype isn’t there. However, he has a chance to produce more than either one because his style will carry over to the NFL more efficiently. He’ll most likely go in the second round and should be a career starter capable of eight to 12 sacks per season due to his speed-to-power conversion and relentless motor.” Finished with 104 tackles (22 for loss), 9 ½ sacks, six forced fumbles and nine batted passes. Had a vertical jump of 38 1/2. Arms were 34 ¼, hands were 10. “Good athlete,” a second scout said. “He’s long, but not that big and can get washed off pretty quickly. He’s not going to run through everybody. Kind of wins with his athleticism more than he does anything else. You’ll see more speed to power out of him. He did not have a good interview so I know some teams will be worried with the character.” Four-star recruit from Kennesaw, Ga.

Sounds pretty good here.

ESPN has him ranked 14th at his position, lower than this but still good value, we took their 94th overall at 147.

I would like to know why he didn’t have better sack numbers if he is all that.
 
Here's the deal with Josephs: he's going to need time to develop into a complete three-down player. The tackling issues and anchor problems against power are real concerns that will show up against NFL offensive lines with better technique and more strength. His situational college usage, with only 17 career starts and 626 pass rush snaps over four years, means he hasn't been tested as an every-down defender against top competition. Teams with strong rotational philosophies will get more immediate value than those expecting a day-one starter who can handle 50-plus snaps.


OK. So THAT to me sounds more like a 5th or 6th round pick not a 2nd.
 
Feels like a true BPA pick for them, kind of happy to see it.

Bleacher Report guys (who I like to watch on Day 3 bc they actually talk in depth about every pick and trade as it happens) just said he’s not great against the run but may have the highest pass rushing upside in this class due to length and speed-to-power. They had him rated in the 80’s and graded this pick an A and a high-upside potential steal
Was going to post the same. Glad they are sticking to their board. My film watching has really gone to shit since I retired man. No idea how I watched no tape on this guy.
 
Sounds pretty good here.

ESPN has him ranked 14th at his position, lower than this but still good value though taking their 94th overall at 147.

I would like to know why he didn’t have better sack numbers if he is all that.

Because, and this is my opinion, he is not all that. Dude is raw, lumbering, and Tennessee manufactured opportunities by CONSTANTLY stunting him inside to the B and A gap.

I don't see it here.

I see long term development potential. But I'm not sure he's a fifth rounder.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.

    You haven't joined any rooms.
    Top