SR 7 said:
Jonatan Joseph South Carolina
Strengths: A fast-rising prospect with explosive speed. Is a fluid athlete with very good initial quickness and COD skills. He shows the ability to turn-and-run without losing much in transition. Is quick out of his pedal and shows good closing burst. Is able to make up a lot of ground when the ball is in the air. He shows good leaping ability and will challenge for the ball in traffic. Possesses natural playmaking instincts and very good ball skills. Is aggressive in run support. Willing and fills hard. Shows adequate strength and is an efficient tackler in space. Has some experience as a return specialist and showed some promise in that area both as a PR and KOR.
Weaknesses: Lacks ideal playing experience. Only played one full season at DI-A level. Shows inconsistent technique. Comes out of his pedal too high at times and will get off balance in those instances. Has a tendency to gamble and jump routes prematurely. Looks less comfortable in zone coverage and must improve his overall awareness in that facet. Durability is a concern following broken foot in 2004.
Overall: Joseph earned All-Conference honors as a defensive back at Coffeyville Junior College in 2003. He transferred to South Carolina prior to the 2004 season and earned a starting cornerback position for the first two games before he suffered a season-ending broken foot in the first quarter of the Georgia game. Joseph returned as a fulltime starter in 2005 and finished the season with 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and nine broken up passes in 12 games. He also averaged 23.5 yards on six kickoff returns and returned one punt for two yards in 2005. Joseph showed an awful lot of intriguing qualities in his one full season as a starter at the DI-A collegiate level. He has adequate size, excellent speed and natural playmaking instincts and ball skills. Joseph also supports the run hard and is a solid tackler, which should lend to him contributing on special teams right away in the NFL. However, the uncertainty generated by lack of experience and durability issues makes Joseph a dangerous proposition. From what we've seen of him in comparatively limited viewing, Joseph possesses the potential to develop into a difference maker as a fulltime starting cornerback in the NFL. That's why we grade Joseph out as a second round prospect.
Davin Joseph OG Oklahoma
Strengths: Well-built, sturdy and powerful OL prospect. Probably will best fit at the OG position in the NFL, but has experience at OT. Possesses adequate height and bulk at OG. Lacks a massive frame but has a wide body and long arms for his height. He plays with great leverage and body control. He shows very good initial quickness for his size and he also is fluid in space. Can get out quickly on pulls and traps. Moves well in space and will consistently be able to hit the moving target on the second level as a run blocker. He jars defenders with his initial hand punch. Rarely loses a battle once he has locked on. Is a tough and feisty lineman that plays with a mean streak. Fights to finish and will look to bury defenders when given the opportunity. Shows a quick set in pass pro. A natural knee bender. Can mirror and slide smoothly. Has very good lateral movement and quickness in pass pro. A hard worker and team leader.
Weaknesses: Is a bit of an OG/OT 'tweener. He lacks ideal height, which may prevent him from playing on the perimeter in the NFL. He still can improve his footwork and hand-placement in pass pro. Will occasionally recognize stunts and blitzes too late.
Overall: Joseph moved from the defensive line to offensive guard as a true freshman in 2002 and has been a fulltime starter since. As a sophomore in 2003, he started 12 of the 14 games he played. As a junior in 2004, he started every game at right guard and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. He made the move to left tackle as a senior in 2005 and has been a fulltime starter thus far. Joseph has been the Sooners' most dominant offensive lineman over the course of the last two seasons, including his junior season when playing on the same offensive line as Jammal Brown (Saints), who was drafted by the Saints with the 13th overall pick in 2004. Joseph has made a smooth transition to the left tackle position as a senior in 2005 but he will be a far better fit at guard in the NFL, mostly due to his lack of ideal height. Joseph can still improve his technique, but he is a hard-working and coachable player who should continue to improve if coached well at the next level. Otherwise, Joseph has very few flaws. He is a wide-bodied, long-armed, strong, athletic and nasty guard prospect. Joseph should quickly develop into a good starter in the NFL, which is why he is worth considering late in the first round or early in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft.
