Karl Joseph Can Do It All for the Oakland Raiders

Safety Karl Joseph was the 14th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The Raiders selected him to patch a hole in what was one of the league’s most inconsistent secondaries. Oakland gave up an average of 271 yards through the air in 2015, ranking 24th in the NFL. In total, the Raiders surrendered 363 yards per game, 22nd in the NFL rankings. On top of his coverage skills, Joseph’s great athleticism will allow the Raiders to insert him in the box on run downs or covering a tight end in man-to-man defense.

It was plays like this that resulted in opposing quarterbacks lighting up the stat sheet against Oakland last season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dumps it off to running back, DeAngelo Williams, who goes 33 yards for the big gain. The Raiders employ their dime defense (six defensive backs) with safety, Taylor Mays, lining up as a middle linebacker in their 3-4 alignment. Middle linebacker, Malcolm Smith, is manipulated by Roethlisberger’s eyes as receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey, runs a drag route to clear out the left side of the formation, leaving no one in the area to make a tackle on Williams.

A season ago, the Raiders didn’t have the type of hybrid player to take away opposing running backs and tight ends. Enter Karl Joseph. Joseph benefits from his slender build which enables him to run sideline to sideline. Against Texas in 2014 he had the task of taking away running back Johnathan Gray. Coming off the weakside play action, Gray runs a wheel route alongside the sideline. Joseph does a good job opening up his hips after he realizes Gray isn’t running a swing route. Karl Joseph runs stride for stride with Gray, staying right on his outside hip.

With Joseph now on the roster, the Raiders will certainly benefit from his presence in the box, and ability to take away opposing running backs on run downs but also passing downs as well.

Here again are the Raiders versus the Steelers. This time it’s receiver, Antonio Brown, ruining the day for the Raiders. The Steelers design a perfect man beater for a conversion on third and two, making this, perhaps, the play of the game. Brown runs a hitch route with the slot receiver, Markus Wheaton, running a rub route that clips the corner, David Amerson. The lone safety on the play is the Hall of Famer Charles Woodson. Woodson gets his feet caught up underneath him as Brown races past and sets up the game-winning field goal for the Steelers:

Joseph is a heavy-hitting machine. He can lay down the wood, but he can also make the shoestring tackle when need be, and here’s a perfect example of that below. On a crucial fourth down play early in the game against Maryland, Joseph comes up with the stop and Maryland turns it over on downs. West Virginia is in a nickel package with five defensive backs. Joseph is playing as the lone high safety, with the assignment of containing the running back, who is set in the pistol formation. The Mountaineers are in man-to-man coverage across the board on this short yardage situation, but as soon as Joseph sees the option play, he sprints over to make the stop:

As mentioned earlier, Karl Joseph is an extremely versatile defender. Here you can see he’s lined up in the box over the tight end on the strong side of the formation. At the snap of the ball, Joseph hurries over to cover the flat zone. Oklahoma quarterback, Baker Mayfield, doesn’t see Joseph’s underneath coverage and makes an ill-advised throw, and Joseph makes him pay. He positions himself perfectly in front of the receiver, boxing him out like a basketball player. He then climbs the ladder to pick off Mayfield:

A season ago, the Raiders didn’t have a versatile player like Joseph. It’s these types of plays made by Joseph that will really make the difference for the Raiders in 2016.

Of course, we can’t talk about Joseph without bringing up his ability to lay out a receiver. Here West Virginia is in their Cover 1 defense with Joseph roaming the middle of the field. This play sums up his exceptional range and his ability to move sideline to sideline. While he’ll need to clean up his technique a bit - it’s likely this play would have been flagged for targeting in the NFL - his will to punish receivers is the type of safety that the Raiders defensive coordinator yearns for in his defense:

Many analysts have made comparisons between Karl Joseph and Seattle Seahawks All-Pro safety, Earl Thomas. While Joseph does have some attributes that are similar to Thomas, the two will likely play different positions in the NFL. For the Raiders to get the most out Joseph, they should place him at strong safety. From watching tape on him, that seems to be a natural position for him. While he can play free safety from time to time, he’s most effective at strong safety.

Against Alabama in 2014, Karl Joseph played in the box for essentially the entire game. This was due in large part to Alabama’s running attack with running backs, T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. Lined up as a defensive end over the tight end, Joseph runs through the tight end and tackles, Yeldon, limiting him to a gain of just two yards. There has been a lot of talk about Joseph’s lack of size and small frame, but this play is a strong example of the 110% maximum effort that Joseph gives on every play. Outsized by the tight end, Joseph still gets his nose to the football:

Though he’s not one of the biggest safeties in the game, Karl Joseph plays a lot bigger than his stature would suggest. The strong safety position calls for a willing and able tackler, Joseph exceeds both those expectations.
Joseph will give the Raiders defense a much needed shot in the arm. He’s a ballhawk that can produce turnovers, but he also does the simple things right on game day. Look for his name to be linked to Defensive Player of the Year come next winter.