Draft Profile: Linval Joseph
NAME – Linval Joseph
Position – Nose tackle/Defensive end.
College – East Carolina.
Status – Junior.
Size/Weight – 6-4¼, 319 pounds.
Important numbers – 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 39 reps on bench press, 31.5-inch vertical jump, 8-foot 6-inch broad jump.
Age – 22 in October.
Honors – First-team All-Conference USA defense ‘09 … honorable mention All-Conference USA defense ‘08.
College career – Big man out of Florida who was recruited by former Pirates head coach Skip Holtz; when Holtz left for South Florida, that’s when Joseph decided he was ready to move on as well. A big man with a lot of athletic ability, he was very active in his career at East Carolina for an interior lineman, marked by his 143 total tackles in 41 games.
Stats of note – 41 games/24 starts … 143 total tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks … 1 forced fumble.
STRENGTHS – Very strong at the point of attack, so he could play at nose tackle … good tackler, who had 60 total stops last year; that’s a big number for a big man inside … gets penetration inside and makes plays back there, evidenced by his tackles for loss.
WEAKNESSES – While athletic, he doesn’t play like he’s in shape and his stamina is low … range is limited … not very advanced as a pass rusher, and must learn to use his hands better … level of competition and only three seasons of play create questions about his experiences.
THE RIGHT 53? – An athletic big man, Joseph underwent back surgery between the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but did not miss a game. There are however, questions about his conditioning and that leads to questions about his work ethic.
What he said – “I’m going to work hard and I’m going to never give up. I’m going to give it all I have.”
End game – Joseph’s versatility on being able to play DT in the 4-3, or NT or DE in the 3-4 scheme will draw a lot of interest from teams looking for those always hard to find big guys with athletic ability. He should be gone by the second half of round No. 2, or early in round No. 3 at the latest.
ON THE CHIEFS LIST? – Certainly they would consider Joseph, but whether the Chiefs have an interest in him would come down to their thoughts on his ability to play nose tackle. If he was still around in the third round, he would be a good consideration.
I could see Joseph as a Chief. If Romeo thinks they guy can help us, of course. We need a NT…and there are precious few available. The “work ethic” thing is a big red flag, though. I’ll take an average player with a strong work ethic over an above-average player with a poor work ethic, anyday. In the NFL…you have to WANT it.
I’d rather draft this guy (instead of Cody) in the late 2nd.
A man that big and he runs a 4.9 – 40 wow! I think we have to consider him if he’s available in the 3rd rnd.