2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kerby Joseph

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Kerby Joseph, 6-1/200 Safety Illinois

Kerby Joseph Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Deep free safety ability

Impressive ball skills

Has some instincts

Covers a lot of ground

Size to take on big receiver

Good height, length

Weaknesses:

One-year wonder

Needs to improve eye discipline

Not a special run defender

Not a forceful tackler

Needs to get stronger

Not a great fit as a strong safety

Could be a backup-, special teams-caliber player

Summary: Joseph did not make much of an impact for the Illini over his first three seasons, totaling zero interceptions and 60 tackles. As a senior, however, he was one of the best safeties in the Big Ten, recording 57 tackles, five interceptions and two passes defended.

Joseph is excellent in deep zone against the pass as a single-high free safety. That’s what he does best, and he was very good in that role for the Illini in 2021. He covers a ton of ground and uses his length to disrupt passing lanes. Joseph has good recognition skills to see coverage busts and close on receivers who could break open downfield. After further development, Joseph could be a good deep free safety in the NFL. He could play some man coverage on an average tight end, but he could struggle with tackling bigger receivers and tight ends after the catch. Joseph has very good ball skills and is a dangerous threat to pick off passes. With the upside to develop as he gains more experience, Joseph has the potential to be a dangerous ball hawk on the back end.



As a run defender, Joseph can contribute, but he is nothing special. He can be late to get in on tackles downfield and is not a safety who delivers hard contact. Adding more strength to tackle NFL backs would not be a bad idea for Joseph, and adding strength is something that he will probably do as a result of aging while working out in a pro strength and conditioning program.



“Joseph has good range and impressive ball skills,” said an NFC director of player personnel. “The word is he doesn’t have great timed speed, but I think he goes by the fourth.”

Joseph could be a second-day pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, with some team sources believing he won’t make it out of Round 3. He could start out as a backup who contributes on special teams and perhaps eventually develop into starting at free safety in the NFL.



Player Comparison: Jordan Whitehead. Joseph reminds me of Whitehead coming out of Pittsburgh. Whitehead was a better run defender, while Joseph has more deep cover skills, but they both were instinctive playmakers. Whitehead went in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and Joseph could go in the same range this year.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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