Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 230 pounds
School: Florida Gators
Vosean Joseph 2019 NFL Draft Profile
A top linebacking prospect out of the Miami area, Vosean Joseph appeared on Rivals’ list of top 100 prospects out of the state of Florida. The three-star recruit received scholarship offers from schools all over the nation, including Miami, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Oregon State, and a few others. But Joseph gave his pledge to Florida fairly early in the process, committing to Jim McElwain‘s 2016 recruiting class in February of 2015.
Much like a lot of players early in their collegiate career, Joseph played in a reserve role at his primary position while contributing mostly on special teams. But he did make his way into the starting lineup for the Gators’ Outback Bowl win over Iowa. His contributions on defense increased precipitously during his sophomore season when he made 11 appearances and started 10 games. He finished the season with 55 tackles which were third-most on the team while adding an interception.
In 2018, Dan Mullen‘s first as UF head coach, Joseph emerged as one of the Gators most capable tacklers with the ability to force negative plays in the backfield. Over 11 starts, his 93 tackles led the team while he also recorded nine tackles for loss and four sacks. His best performance of the season came in an upset of then fifth-ranked LSU when he tallied 14 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. For his efforts, he was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week as well as the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Strengths
- patient in reading and reacting to the ball;
- immediate burst on speed rushes through gaps when blitzing;
- active hands that enable him to swipe and disengage from bigger climbing blockers;
- plus lateral agility reacting to cutbacks;
- plays with intensity and aggression;
- impressive sideline-to-sideline range and closing quickness;
- above average play strength for his size;
- does a good job keeping everything in front of him;
- production doesn’t show it but he appears to have awareness and ball skills to be effective in coverage;
- showed up on a big stage with his performance against LSU in 2018.
Weaknesses
- a thinly built frame that needs more lower body thickness;
- might have a large learning curve in adjusting to NFL concepts;
- oftentimes hits the wrong gap and lets runners blow by him;
- needs to hone his technique as a wrap-up tackler;
- could take much better angles in pursuit;
- too quick to bite on play action;
- can get bullied by maulers climbing into the second level;
- could be a liability in man coverage;
- size concerns might restrict him to the weak side.
NFL Comparison: Jordan Hicks
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Late second to early third round
Bottom Line
Joseph is a hugely athletic prospect with an above average initial burst that enables him to close on ball-carriers rather easily. He’s incredibly rangy and is stronger than his size would suggest. Those traits allow him to blow up plays in the backfield and force negative plays. He’s also functional as a coverage linebacker which hints that he has every down value.
One of the obvious concerns about Joseph is his below-average size. He’s also thinly built below the hips and might need to add some mass to his lower body without it impacting his athleticism. There are also quite a few inconsistencies in his tape, particularly with respect to his instincts and overall body control. Too often, he plows into blockers on plays that roll to the perimeter rather than take a more efficient path to the ball.
Ultimately, Joseph’s ideal role at the next level appears to be that of a WILL with the potential to develop into a three-down backer that can wreak havoc as a blitzer and contribute in coverage. Though he might not play more than a reserve role as a rookie, he’ll be a welcome addition to a team’s depth chart. His ceiling is that of a regular starter as an undersized yet immensely athletic player at his position.
