One of the most familiar names the Detroit Lions signed to a free agent contract after the 2023 NFL draft was Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph. Aside from playing for a major program, Joseph was a common fixture in the first round of “too early” mock drafts a year ago.
Now Joseph enters the Lions’ rookie minicamp next week as an undrafted free agent trying to prove that the prior ballyhoo wasn’t unwarranted.
The top quality that made Joseph so appealing entering the 2022 college season was his outstanding productivity in pass defense. Playing at Northwestern primarily as a free safety allowed Joseph to roam the intermediate range and flow toward the sidelines freely to make plays on the ball. He picked off nine combined passes in the 2020-2021 seasons for the Wildcats, but his coverage prowess extended beyond making plays on the ball.
Joseph transferred to Notre Dame for his final season, and it simply didn’t fit well. The Fighting Irish used Joseph more in a split safety or even box safety role. To be blunt, Joseph’s poor tackling and unteady run defense that he showed at Northwestern should have nipped that experiment in the bud. He’s not a reliable presence against the run, and putting him in more traffic closer to the line of scrimmage exacerbates his struggles.
In short, he’s much more of a Kerby Joseph (no relation) type of safety than he is a Kyle Hamilton type, but Notre Dame largely asked him to replace the 2022 Ravens’ first-rounder (who quietly played great after a slow rookie start). His tacking issues are unlikely to ever improve enough to be relied upon as a full-time player. Joseph takes too many poor angles, lacks good body control to make quick adjustments to shifty runners, and doesn’t play with as much power, not even for a 192-pound DB.
If Joseph is going to make the Lions as an undrafted rookie, he’ll need to flash the ball skills once again. He doesn’t have great long speed or gaudy athleticism; Joseph wins with smart positioning, quick reactions and a good initial burst to the point of attack. He did handle some return specialist duties, too.
