2022 Devy Preview Scouting Series (for 2023+): SAF Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame

*Devy (for 2023 prospects) Preview scouting = scouting 1-2+ key game tapes, looking at output trends/basic analytics, and some minor background research. Not a full blown, deep dive scouting report. We’ll continue to scout these players ahead of the college all-star games, the Combine and post-Combine for a full reporting ahead of their NFL Draft.

I (RC) conducted my scouting as Ross Jacobs did his, we then exchanged our reports without knowing what the other was thinking/seeing. Then we briefly discussed our scouting of this player in an informal text chat (posted below the two scouting takes). *Please forgive typos on the chat transcript.

SAF Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame (Scouting Grade: D+) = by R.C. Fischer

6'0”/190, 2021: 79 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 3 INT, 4 PD, 0 FF (15g), Projected: 4.5 40-time, 7.1+ 3-cone

Transferring to Notre Dame for 2022, from three years at Northwestern prior.

A bit of a fraud prospect – he’s known for his lofty INT tallies (9 career picks) but watching his highlight tape…most of them were tipped passes by others and they went right to him, and a couple others thrown right to him with no one else around. I’m not impressed with this. I didn’t see any other great SAF play otherwise. He was fine/competent but nothing special.

COMP? = Lesser athletic Karl Joseph

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S Brandon Joseph, Northwestern (Scouting Preview Grade: C-) -- Ross Jacobs

6'1”/190, 2021: 79 tackles, 1.5 tfl, 1 sack, 3 INT, 4 pd (12g), Projected: 4.5 40-time, 6.9 3-cone

Joseph is fine, pretty average from what I saw. Decent range and does a good job tackling when he gets home but too often is late to adjust to the ball because his eyes get locked in one spot. There are times where he could have saved a big run if he had reacted quicker but he's too slow to track the ball. Maybe another year will see his instincts improve.

NFL Comp? = Nasir Adderley

RC: Joseph was my least favorite SAF prospect to preview

Ross: Easily

RC: He got a bunch of total BS INTs and thus is getting attention for the tally

Ross: I didn't see him making any kind of an impact either

Ross: I'm willing to be wrong but right now I'd bet against him

RC: I don't want to waste any more time on him because he doesn't deserve it.

RC: But for a nugget for those who plowed through this...

RC: We're watching some RB Trestan Ebner Baylor/Chicago Bears UDFA tape and starting think some thoughts

RC: Ross, I guarantee you will have the same comp I'm thinking after watching a bit more tape, not full watch just some highlights...who comes to mind when you watched that tape I sent a few minutes ago?

RC: What RB of the last 1-10 years comes to mind

Ross: Ballage

RC: I was thinking...Tevin Coleman

RC: Ballage was bigger

Ross: Yes, Ballage was bigger. I'm just thinking style. Coleman makes some sense too. Very straight ahead fast

RC: That breakaway speed

RC: Once Coleman got past the first level, he was gone

Ross: Coleman ran for like 2000 yards. Pretty sure Ebner never broke 800

RC: Pulling away from people

RC: You just don't get that chance that clear in the NFL

Ross: He's got some skills. Don't think he's as good as Coleman though

RC: Could be Felix Jones good

Ross: And Coleman was only mildly FF useful for a second

RC: Another great straight away guy

Ross: Do not disparage Felix Jones that way

Ross: Felix had some shake and bake

RC: Ebner 3 KR TDs, 1 PR TD in college

RC: Ebner very solid in the pass game

Ross: I remember his rookie year he put Charles Woodson in a blender on a toss to the left

RC: I am starting to buy him as a pass game RB for Chicago this year, in some form, at some point

Ross: Does Chicago have a passing game?

RC: RUN DMC was Felix, McFadden and who again?

Ross: Peyton Hillis

Ross: Those teams were so much fun to watch

RC: Oh yeah...that was pretty stout, and Hillis didn't get much

RC: Cedric Cobbs was better than all of them

Ross: Hillis got almost nothing. He blocked and caught passes

Ross: Get that blasphemy out of here

Ross: Cobbs was good. He was no DMac

RC: None of them really made it big in the pros, sadly

RC: Hillis had the best moment in time

Ross: Injuries

Ross: All three of them sadly

Ross: And the year before we brought in DMac and Felix we nearly landed Peterson but he chose Oklahoma

RC: And thus, wraps boring SAF Brandon Joseph chat...with Arkansas reminiscing.

Ross: Brandon who?

RC: The year after RUN DMC left, the Dick brothers took over at QB

Ross: With two Nutts coaching

RC: The Nutts and Dicks were clipped by Bobby Petrino and his girlfriend/mistress

Ross: Yeah, I was there the year Nutt got fired and the night Petrino was hired my dad heard about it about an hour ahead of the press conference and me and a buddy snuck into the stadium to watch

RC: The Tyler Wilson era was soon to begin

Ross: Things were going good until he crashed that stupid motorcycle

Ross: Tyler Wilson and Ryan Mallett

Ross: Knile Davis

RC: Great Oakland draft pick. Al Davis was a real legend

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