A look at fast-riser Linval Joseph

by Dan Kadar on Apr 22, 2010 6:51 AM EDT in 2010 NFL Draft

In his mock, Mel Kiper has him going to the New York Jets at No. 29 overall. At pick No. 28, former scout Daniel Jeremiah has him going to the San Diego Chargers.

He is Linval Joseph, defensive tackle, East Carolina. He is the name you did not expect to hear called today.

The rise of Joseph can be directly tied to the rise of the 3-4 defense with teams in need of a nose tackle. Make no mistake about Joseph -- at 6-foot-5, 328 pounds with 34-inch arms, he's a true nose.

On his Twitter page, Jeremiah wrote, "I had Linval Joseph going to SD (because general manager A.J. Smith) doesn't care what perception is out there and Joseph can help on 3rd down unlike (Terrence) Cody."

Kiper called him the "fastest-rising" player in the draft.

"The secret is officially out on Joseph, a player teams have been quiet about, hoping they could move him up their own boards with little fanfare," Kiper wrote in his final mock draft.

After the jump, we have a little more on Joseph and my mini scouting report on him.

Linval was a surprise entrant in this year's draft. As a junior, he had 60 tackles, with 13 coming for a loss. He also had 14 quarterback hurries. He played in 41 career games, finishing with 143 tackles, 29.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks.

Joseph was the best defensive lineman on a team that features two other draftable players this year -- Jay Ross and C.J. Wilson.

He decided to leave East Carolina following the departure of head coach Skip Holtz. At the scouting combine, Joseph turned heads by pushing 225 pounds in the bench press 39 times.

"He’s the strongest of the defensive lineman available, and he’s a good athlete, meaning he’s worth a look if only based on what you think he might become," an AFC scout told the Gainesville Sun. "I don’t like that he let his weight get up around 370 at one point, but I do like that he got serious enough to fix that and get below 330."

Here is my quick report on Joseph:

Linval Joseph
6’5, 328 pounds | Defensive tackle | East Carolina

Strengths: Joseph is an incredibly strong tackle who can hold the nose and take on double teams. Had an incredible junior year with 60 tackles with 13 for a loss and three sacks. Gets better penetration than you’d expect from such a big player. Joseph is a massive, engulfing tackler. Shows a good motor – while it lasts.

Weaknesses: Doesn’t always seem to play up to his size. Lets guards overpower him and move him off the line. Tends to play too high which lets blockers under his pads. Stamina may be a serious issue. Played in a rotation for ECU and often seemed winded. Had major weight fluctuations during his career.

Final word: With the number of teams needing 3-4 defensive lineman, Joseph made a smart move entering the draft a year early. He was part of an impressive defensive line rotation.

There is plenty to like about Joseph, namely his size and intriguing athleticism. He really helped himself with an excellent combine performance. But there are some work ethic issues that will need to be addressed.

Here is a small highlight video from 2008.

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Comments

Wow...

that’d be a surprise.

He’s big and strong like a NT..but really, he doesn’t play stout like a NT. I’ve seen him compared as a big under tackle..sorta like Fred Robbins was or Kevin Williams on the Viqueens.

You ruined the surprise tho!

Beer

by FreeBradshaw on Apr 22, 2010 8:08 AM EDT reply actions