Oakland Raiders: Karl Joseph primed to uplift secondary

Oakland Raiders safety Karl Joseph dealt with limitations due to injury as soon as he set foot in the NFL, but he’s primed for a breakout 2017 season.

As humans, we’re typically focused on the newest addition. It’s fascinating to dissect the unknown and it’s potential, especially when it comes to the NFL. The Oakland Raiders drafted cornerback Gareon Conley with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2017 draft, but it’s safety Karl Joseph who will uplift an underperforming secondary in the upcoming season.

Conley certainly has the tools to strengthen the Raiders’ pass coverage on the perimeter and in the slot. Joseph’s well-rounded skill set brings a hard-hitting style and deep-ball tracking skills to fill the blind spots on the defense.

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The Raiders didn’t acquire Joseph at his best as he recovered from a torn ACL and missed games due to a toe injury late in the 2016 season. The second-year safety also told local reporters that he played timid and unsure of himself last year (via Raiders.com):

"Just being able to go through this offseason working in the weight room and going through OTAs, I feel like a new person. I feel a lot stronger and faster. I’m not really timid like I was last year. I was kind of timid certain times to plant off that knee and stuff like that. Now, it’s just a thing in the back of my mind. I don’t really feel it, so now I’m just focused on football more than the injuries and stuff like that."

Let’s not forget Joseph’s ball-hawking style and stinging hits when he’s healthy:

It’s a short highlight reel but illustrates what the Raiders may see at the strong safety position in the upcoming season. Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott went as far to say he can extract his own qualities from Joseph’s play style:

Joseph dons the No. 42 jersey and he’s far from Lott in his heyday, but the 23-year old safety certainly has the qualities to make a difference downfield and in the box against the run. On Tuesday after practice, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. talked about the added spark in the second-year safety’s play during training camp (per Raiders.com):

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"Yeah, I think if you watch him, you see Karl making checks. “He’s disguising. He’s blitzing. He’s covering. He’s hitting. I saw a couple times today he used his shoulder, put his body on people. He’s explosive. Everything you saw early in his career and the reason why he’s here. He’s got all of that. I think he’s really eager to get this thing going because I think anytime you come off injuries, your legs and your body don’t really react how you expect them to. You have to really work with it, but he’s on top of his game."

Typically, it takes about a year for a player to revert to form after an ACL injury. Joseph went down October 2015 with the injury at West Virginia. In Week 11, the former Mountaineer logged nine tackles, a single-game high for his rookie year. Then, he suffered a toe injury and missed the final four games of the season before returning for the playoff game in Houston.
Despite the recovery and additional foot injury, Joseph graded as the second-best tackling safety in the league, per Pro Football Focus:

Now he’s healthy and going through a full offseason with the team as a full participant, his strides should flash on the field during his sophomore year.

The Raiders could elect to move Joseph around the secondary if necessary. He’s a capable blitzer who can also penetrate into the backfield to stop the run. If free safety Reggie Nelson loses too much quickness to play over the top, No. 42 could take his spot, which would move second-round pick Obi Melifonwu into the strong safety position.

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Joseph’s versatility gives Norton and defensive assistant John Pagano options in personnel, scheme and disguises. The Raiders projected starting strong safety may not earn a Pro Bowl invite, but he’s going to bring a huge impact to the overall defense as a healthy player roaming the field sideline to sideline and dropping into coverage when necessary.