SUMMARY Joseph was a fun player to grade because few offensive linemen have his raw natural strength to be a dominant blocker at the point of attack. While it is always a real concern when an offensive lineman does not block aggressively and play with a sense of urgency on every snap, I believe it is mostly due to Joseph being so much more talented than nearly every defensive lineman he blocks in college. He has very quick feet for such a big, thick-bodied offensive lineman and can block out in space much better than expected when he bends his knees and blocks with a wide base. He has the unusual natural strength to be a dominant and controlling blocker at the point of attack, and can both torque and toss defensive tackles, or can drive them off the ball. Overall, Joseph reminds me a lot of former San Diego Chargers guard Toniu Fonoti in terms of natural strength, but Joseph does not have Fonoti's weight concerns. However, he also does not block with the aggressiveness that Fonoti does. It will take a season or two for Joseph to become the guard he is capable of, but in a season or two, he should be a very good starting guard who physically dominates the defensive tackle consistently. CRITICAL FACTORS Size Play Strength Play Speed Initial Quickness Competes Instincts 7.0 7.0 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 STRONG POINTS Joseph is a very strong guard who can be physically dominant when he attacks defensive linemen. He has the flexibility to bend his knees and block with a wide base, and when he does, he can slide and shuffle well in pass protection and can stay on and maintain his block in space. He has the quick feet and playing speed to get through the line of scrimmage to block a linebacker on the second level and to pull and lead block on outside runs. WEAKNESSES Joseph does not play with a sense of urgency on a consistent basis and it leads to him not playing up to his ability. Defensive tackles with less athleticism beat him more than they should. He has a tendency to block upright and with straight legs, and ends up bending at the waist and leaning and reaching to make and maintain contact on blocks. He does not punch often in pass protection, which lets the defensive tackle get into his chest. In the NFL, he will get pushed around at the point of attack if he does not learn to punch better. POSITIONAL FACTORS Grade Category Comments/Description 6.5 Foot Agility When he blocks with a good, wide base, his agility helps him slide and shuffle well. 6.0 Initial Quickness He can be very good, but he does not always burst off the ball and set to block fast. 7.0 Play Strength Even when he does not use good technique, he has the natural strength to be good. 6.0 Run Block In-Line He can be dominant, but needs to block aggressively every snap to do so. 6.0 Run Block Space He gets through to the second level very easily, and when he bends his knees, he can maintain in space. 6.0 Pass Protection He is good in pass protection now, and can be excellent once he learns to use his hands. 6.5 Quick Set-Pass Protection On quick sets, he bends his knees, blocks with a wide base and eliminates his man. 6.0 Shuffle & Slide He's not always pretty and smooth, but very good when he blocks with a wide base. 5.5 Punch/Hand-Use He just about never punches, but once he gets a hold of the defensive tackle, he can eliminate his man. 6.5 Vs. Power Rush Despite his inconsistency, he finds a way to stop power rushers on the line of scrimmage. 6.0 Vs. Speed Rush He struggles changing directions fast when he blocks upright and straight-legged. 5.5 Errors He does not keep his focus, which leads to him getting beat more than he should. ATHLETIC ABILITY Section Grade: 6.5 Joseph is a very good athlete for such a thick-bodied and well-built guard, but he does not have the feet and athleticism to play tackle nearly as well as guard. He can get through to the second level quickly to deliver a good blow to the linebacker and can bend his knees to block with a wide base, which helps him to stay on and maintain block in space. He has the playing speed to pull and make blocks on outside runs. He has very good flexibility, and when he maintains focus, he can bend his knees and block with leverage and a very good, wide base. When he plays with his knees bent, he can slide quickly side-to-side to adjust in pass protection. Overall, he is a very good athlete, but does not play like one all the time because he does not consistently play with a sense of urgency. Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination 6.5 6.5 6.0 6.5 6.5 COMPETITIVENESS Section Grade: 6.5 Joseph's toughness has enabled him to consistently stay in the lineup despite a variety of painful dings, but he does not consistently display a tough/aggressive attitude on the field. He does an excellent job of ratcheting up his level of intensity on the most important plays and usually is physically dominant when he does. His overall production is very good, but it really varies from excellent at times to adequate at other times, and it is almost always linked directly to the sense of urgency with which he plays. When he bends his knees, blocks with leverage and really gets after his blocks aggressively, he is a very productive guard, but is never as productive when he has to slide out and play tackle. He is a team player. He stayed at Oklahoma for his senior season when he could have been a high draft pick after his junior season, but on the field he is not always the highly competitive, no-quit offensive lineman coaches seek. Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit 6.0 7.0 6.5 6.0 6.0 5.5 MENTAL ALERTNESS Section Grade: 5.5 Joseph seems to be a smart player because he was able to switch between guard and tackle in many games and was productive at both spots. However it is a concern that his use of hands in pass protection and technique is not nearly as good as it needs to be. He has very good instincts, but he does not always react quickly. When he blocks upright and with straight legs, he struggles to slide quickly side-to-side to react. Another big concern is that Joseph tends to lose his focus/concentration during the game, and it causes him to play without aggression and without a sense of urgency on every snap. Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration 5.5 6.0 5.5 STRENGTH/EXPLOSION Section Grade: 6.5 Joseph has excellent size for a guard. When you see him on the "Hoof," he jumps out at you because he is so solidly built with such a thick lower body. His strength, size and natural athleticism will allow him to be a very durable NFL offensive lineman. He has the natural explosiveness to burst off the ball and knock a defensive lineman off the ball, but he does not show it consistently. He has the outstanding natural strength to be dominant at the point of attack when he blocks aggressively. He can torque and toss big defensive tackles off their feet and can throw them out of the play consistently when he attacks his blocks with a real sense of urgency. Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength 7.0 6.5 6.0 7.0
