Finding Broncos: Kerby Joseph | Safety | Illinois

Finding Broncos scouts the 2022 NFL Draft class, turning our attention to the safety safeties.

Measurables

• Height: 6-foot-1
• Weight: 203 pounds
• Arms: 33 inches
• Hands: 10-1/4 inches

Combine Result

• Bench Press: 18 reps
• Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 123 inches

Stats

Pros

• Exceptionally smooth in his backpedal and gets great depth quickly. 
• Has a good football IQ to read passing concepts and routes as the play develops. 
• Exceptionally smooth and fluid as a mover and can easily change direction. 
• Has good patience, and he doesn't lunge to reach for tackles. 
• Has extremely good range on the backend and, if he could be fooled less and more decisive, has some single high ability. 
• Has great length and uses it extremely well to annoy receivers at the catch point. 
• Accelerates extremely quickly, which helps him with his change of direction with a quick stop and start. 
• Brings good versatility in the secondary and could potentially play in the slot, but playing in the box is a no-go. 
• Offers up good potential on special teams as a gunner. 
• Isn't a great athlete but he is more than good enough for the NFL. 
• A tough competitor and doesn't back down. 

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Cons

• There are moments where Joseph can be a little passive in coverage with not wanting to get fooled. 
• While he is fine coming downhill, he has to be much better with the timing.
• Lowers his head into tackles.
• Won't bring those jarring tackles you sometimes want to see and relies on drag-down tackling. 
• Burst is lackluster and lacks that closing ability to finish at times. 
• While he had a great 2021 season, the rest of his career wasn't good. 
• Angles are a mess and can often highlight his lack of closing burst. 
• Quarterback's eyes can easily bait him. 
• Production is in a small sample size and can be labeled as a one-year wonder. 
•  eeds more development with his football IQ, though good he can do with speeding it up and being more aware of being baited. 

Overview

Kerby Joseph is a good coverage safety that, with work, can be solid against the run. However, he must work on his timing against the run and improve his tackling technique to achieve that. 

The best position for Joseph would be in a two-high system that will limit the reads he has to make in coverage and put him in a position to work with the athleticism. This would limit the potential of being baited by quarterbacks by shrinking the field for him down to half.

While Joseph's athleticism isn't great, he is more than good enough to be an effective player in the NFL. He can contribute on special teams, and with development, he can be that number three safety if not a good starter. 

Fit with Broncos

The scheme that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero runs is an excellent fit for Joseph especially pairing him with Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns. Having that scheme and those players around Joseph would mitigate the concerns he has in coverage. In addition, Simmons is a great leader in the locker room, helps out those around him, and could be highly beneficial. 

There is a concern with Joseph's tackling, but Denver has shown it's more willing to work around it. The biggest issue is how he ducks his head into contact, which is something that can be fixed. At the very least, Joseph would help on special teams and be a good competition for the third safety spot. 

It will be interesting to see where Joseph goes, as teams could be scared away from using a top-100 pick on him. He has good play in coverage and can make needed plays, but was he only as one year wonder, or was it a sign of him progressing as a player? 

That is something teams will have to answer when they meet with him and use that to figure out where they are comfortable taking him because, on tape, he is worth a top-100 pick. 

Grade: Early Round 3

Where he Goes: Mid-to-Late Round 2

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