Steelers War Room: S Karl Joseph
By Josh Fitzer
Karl Joseph plays the safety position like how you’d want a safety to play. Fast. Physical. Ballhawk.
We all know that our Steelers are going to draft a DB, or 5, in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Steelers secondary has been in transition. They let Ryan Clark walk in the 2014 off-season, which I think, was the right thing to do. The G.O.A.T. Troy Polamalu retired in 2015, which was also the right thing to do, Polamalu had quite a few injured riddled seasons, and he was getting on the wrong end of 30. The once shifty Ike Taylor also retired in the 2015. He was once a solid corner, but his play seem to deteriorate greatly over his last few seasons.
I’d like to point out a player in the 2016 NFL Draft that the Steelers should pick at 25. This is also my “official” mock first pick for the Steelers.
Now, let’s take a look at safety Karl Joseph.
Name: Karl Joseph
Birthdate: 9/8/1993 (age 22)
College: West Virginia
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 205 lbs
Arm: 32 1/8
Hand: 09 3/4
Wingspan: 77 1/4
Karl Joseph plays the safety position like how you’d want a safety to play. Fast. Physical. Ballhawk. Wherever the ball is, you’ll usually find Joseph right around it. When you watch this guy play, you’ll feel like his range is wider than the distance between California and New York. He’s excellent at closing in on the ballcarrier and making them pay for it. If you were an NFL head coach, Joseph has the speed that you’d want out of your safety.
Joseph’s 2015 season was ended, after four games, because of a knee injury. But in those four games, he accumulated 20 tackles and five interceptions.
Although Joseph posted some impressive numbers before his season ended, he still has some weaknesses.
With his quick speed, and quick feet, Joseph has the knack of over-pursuing, which is not something you want out of your safety. Instead of allowing his eyes and mind process a play, he tends to take odd angles and that leads to him taking himself out of a play. For Joseph, his hard-hitting style are his greatest strength and greatest weakness.
Bottom line: Joseph is fearless. He’s always looking for an opportunity to make a play. I’d like to see the Steelers pick Karl Joseph if he’s still there at 25, which I think he will be. Joseph would add some youth to our defensive backfield, and a potential starter for years to come.