Pride of Detroit
With another year of experience under his belt, Lions’ safety Kerby Joseph has all he needs in order to be a perennial All-Pro.
We are getting closer to Detroit Lions football everyday, and as time marches forward this Summer, so does our roster preview series.
Next up, we have yet another 2024 First Team All-Pro, safety Kerby Joseph. Selected in the third-round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Joseph is another draft pick of general manager Brad Holmes that has blossomed into a foundational piece for one of the NFL’s most complete teams.
Previous previews: QB Jared Goff, QB Hendon Hooker, RB Sione Vaki, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Jameson Williams, WR Kalif Raymond, TE Sam LaPorta, OL Colby Sorsdal, OT Giovanni Manu, OT Penei Sewell, G Graham Glasgow, EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, DT Brodric Martin, DL Pat O’Connor, LB Malcolm Rodriguez, LB Grant Stuard, LB Jack Campbell, CB Ennis Rakestraw, CB Terrion Arnold, DB Brian Branch, LS Hogan Hatten, K Jake Bates.
After a 2023 season that was a bit up-and-down for a myriad of reasons, there were some around the league who (mistakenly) began to doubt Joseph’s ceiling after such a stellar rookie season. Could he develop into the type of safety who can generate a ton of takeaways while also being a dependable tackler as the last line of defense on the field?
As far as the 2023 season is concerned, there were times that looked like Joseph was compensating too much in order to make a play, and it resulted in him being out of position at times. On top of that, his technique as a tackler could be inconsistent in terms of wrapping up, finishing, and getting the ball-carrier on the ground.
Being more consistent as a tackler, as well as playing within the confines of the scheme—if Joseph could be more consistent with those two things, then we could be potentially dealing with a really special player.
18 games (18 starts) — 1,158 defensive snaps
Stats: 83 total tackles, 9 interceptions, 12 PBUs, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL
PFF defense grade: 90.7 (1st out of 106 qualifying safeties - min. 20% of defensive snaps)
PFF run defense grade: 83.6 (12th out of 106)
PFF tackling grade: 86.9 (9th out of 106)
PFF coverage grade: 91.5 (1st ouf of 106)
PFF pass rush grade: 61.8 (36th out of 106)
Thankfully for the Lions, Joseph did just that, and his league-leading nine interceptions are proof.
To say that Joseph is really comfortable in his role would be an understatement. Going into his fourth season as a pro, he understands the scheme inside and out. And because of that, Joseph is now playing chess instead of checkers—allowing him to dictate how the defense is aligned pre-snap if he thinks it can fool a quarterback. Just ask fellow defensive back Brian Branch.
In an episode of the St. Brown Brothers Podcast, Branch broke down an interception of his...
