Bills snag LB Vosean Joseph in 5th round
The Buffalo Bills selected linebacker Vosean Joseph out of Florida in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 147th overall.
Joseph led the Gators with 98 tackles in 2018, good for ninth in the SEC.
The speedster should slot in as a backup behind Matt Milano, and Joseph could carve out a role on passing downs with his impressive range.
Prospect profile
School: Florida
Height: 6-2
Weight: 230 lbs
Strengths
- Big-play machine who can make an impact in numerous ways
- Shoots gaps to make tackles for loss in backfield
- Shows pursuit speed with range that extends to sideline
- Productive pass-rusher either coming from second level or rotating to edge
- Flashes ability to avoid blocks with lateral quickness and find ball-carrier
Weaknesses
- Overall inconsistency
- Doesn’t have size or strength for a traditional every-down role at linebacker
- Fails to come to balance before contact and misses far too many tackles
- Will get washed out of run plays when linemen get hands on him
- Bails on gap in favor of freelancing style
Bottom line
Joseph is a fascinating prospect. No stranger to the big play in the backfield or on a spectacular effort to the sideline, he at times looks like a star in the making. But there are just as many bad plays as there are good. There's a ton of upside with Joseph if he can land in the right system, and perhaps his best fit ends up being a role similar to the one for which Deone Bucannon became known with the Cardinals.