High School and College Career

Brandon Joseph attended College Station High School in Texas. While in high school, Joseph’s impressive performance earned him All-State honors, as he played both ways in 2018 and was a key factor in leading his school to the Texas 5A State Championship. His success on the field was matched by his academic achievements, as he also earned the accolade of Academic All-State Honoree.

As a 3-star recruit, Joseph made the decision to join Northwestern University. played in two games for the Wildcats, playing a total of 13 snaps at safety, where he finished with 3 tackles.

The following year as a sophomore, Joseph played in a total of nine games, logging 620 snaps and making 39 tackles and six interceptions.

By 2021, Joseph , now a junior, played in 12 games and was on the field for an impressive 816 snaps. He finished with 60 tackles, forced two pass breakups, and three interceptions. He gave up a QB rating when targeted of just 65.9.

Despite his success with Northwestern, Joseph decided to enter the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 season, and eventually found a new home with Notre Dame. His impact with the Fighting Irish was immediate, and in 2022 he played in 10 games, taking part in 431 snaps. He had 23 tackles, managed to break up a pass, one interception, and gave up a QB rating when targeted of 70.7.

Brandon Joseph Scouting Report Introduction

Brandon Joseph, the former Northwestern and Notre Dame safety, is projected to be a starting free safety in the NFL due to his ability to make plays on the football and diagnose route combinations. During his redshirt freshman year in 2020, he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and led the team in interceptions with six in just nine games played. His extensive experience playing in multiple defensive systems equips him well for a career in the NFL.

Joseph’s zone coverage skills in the deep portions of the field are excellent, and he was charged with manning deep-middle-of-the-field regions. He also played a variety of coverages at Notre Dame and can serve as a robber and shallow zone defender. Although he is not particularly strong in man coverage, Joseph’s abilities in zone coverage provide versatility on the back end. Joseph’s football IQ and ability to diagnose route combinations enables him to provide strong pass defense. His striking ability as a tackler is also impressive, as he delivers big hits and offers excellent pursuit range from depth.

However, Joseph’s skill set is scheme-specific, and he may not be a one-size-fits-all player in the NFL. His inconsistency in run fits has been a challenge throughout his career, which makes closer assignments to the line of scrimmage more variable. The angles from depth can be too sharp, and he struggles in head-up tackling situations. Joseph does not show the same enthusiasm for striking in traffic as he does when greeting the football. Improved anticipation in the run game and refined angles could help protect him, but it is important to ensure he is not trapped into rolling down into fits in the box.

Overall, Joseph should assimilate well into an NFL defense during his rookie season. His ability to play coverage makes him a feasible starter, but he needs time to adjust to the speed of the game and refine his tackling and support ability beyond playing the passing game in space. Management should be willing to let him fail forward and learn on the job to improve and develop more intentionally. Joseph is a ball-hawk safety who could move the needle for teams looking for a versatile and skilled safety in the NFL.

Strengths

He has proven himself capable of covering quickness underneath. Joseph boasts excellent ball skills and has a knack of forcing turnovers as a ballhawk. He can track the ball well downfield, making him effective in defending the pass. He is particularly skilled at going up and high-pointing the ball in contested-catch situations. His high football IQ also plays a key role in his success on the field, as he is able to read and understand the game very well.

Joseph’s defensive capabilities are not limited to his pass defense, however. He is also a strong player in run support and is not afraid to give up his body to make a play. He has a good closing burst and is adept at tackling his opponents. He plays with high energy and is a tough-minded overachiever, which has further contributed to his success as a football player.

Weaknesses

Although he has decent speed, it isn’t enough to qualify as exceptional, which can be problematic when it comes to deep coverage against receivers. Consequently, there are concerns about his liability in that regard, meaning he might not have the necessary skillset to take on such challenges.

Despite his tendency to lay big hits, Joseph often plays out of control, which results in missing a lot of tackles along the way. He also needs to improve his route recognition. It’s clear that Brandon Joseph has skillset limitations that could affect his overall performance and potential on the field. His modest speed, inconsistent coverage, poor tackling technique, and tendency to be out of control are all factors that could hold him back in achieving greatness.

Brandon Joseph is our 186th prospect on our draft big board.