This may seem a bit outlandish to some people in the draft community, but there is talk about Karl Joseph being the best defensive back available in the 2016 NFL Draft. Louis Riddick, a draft expert for ESPN who was a former NFL Pro scout and Director of pro personnel for both the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles, had this to say about West Virginia’s own.
I like Karl Joseph as a top 15 player in this draft class, but I’m not sure I can go that far just yet. I mean, there is still a player named Jalen Ramsey in this class, but when a defensive backs guru like Louis Riddick says something like that, it is hard not to take notice. I said it in my tape analysis of Karl Joseph last month that the only thing that can stop him from being a superstar in this league is himself in that he must take better angles and more calculated risks when attacking the ball. He truly does have all of the tools to be an All-Pro at the safety position considering his ball skills, man coverage ability, play strength, competitive toughness, range, and physicality in run support, but until that knee checks out, I don’t think I can say he is a better player than Jalen Ramsey. They are both special players, but in my opinion, Ramsey is the superior athlete with the versatility to play cornerback at an elite level.
With that being said, Ramsey is indeed the top defensive back on my draft board because of his elite skill set to play either position, but I could be sold that Karl Joseph is the most productive defensive back in this class five years from now. In addition, you can probably grab Karl Joseph a good 20 picks later than where Jalen Ramsey will end up. So all in all, I don’t think Joseph is a better defensive back than Ramsey, but I absolutely believe that he is the much better value for where he will be selected in this draft as a true safety prospect.
