Before the 2025 season began, Joshua Josephs was the only returning EDGE rusher in all of college football with PFF grades above 85 in both run defense and pass rush. Not one of the top ten. The only one. That distinction matters in a class deep with edge talent: it tells you that Josephs is doing both jobs simultaneously at an elite level in the SEC, which is the clearest signal available that his NFL floor is real and sustainable. The film confirms what the grades reflect: a high-motor defensive end who sets the edge with professional-grade technique, pursues plays from the backside with genuine burst, and has delivered 6 career forced fumbles across four seasons at Tennessee.
At 6'3" and 240 lbs, Josephs is undersized for a traditional 4-3 end, which creates the legitimate NFL concern about whether he can hold the point of attack against 330-lb NFL guards as a full-time starter. The tweener risk is real. But the tools — first step, run-defense fundamentals, developing pass-rush toolkit, and the kind of relentless motor that generates forced fumbles — are also real, and the SEC production against elite competition gives you confidence the grades aren't inflated by soft scheduling.
STRENGTHS
Run defense is the headline and the most certain trait to translate. Josephs sets the edge with authority against SEC offensive tackles — keeps his outside arm free, uses length to prevent wash, and holds his ground against combination blocks from Power conference linemen. The goal-line and short-yardage reps are particularly impressive: in multiple frames near the end zone, he doesn't yield. His edge-setting technique reflects years of development at Tennessee, not a natural-athlete-winging-it performance. That PFF 91.4 run defense grade in 2024 is not a fluke; it's the product of fundamental execution across hundreds of snaps.
His first step is the second elite trait. Pre-snap, he's loaded and ready — low, weight forward, consistently the fastest off the ball regardless of opponent or game situation. That initial burst sets up everything else in his pass-rush toolkit: the speed-to-power outside rush, the developing inside counter that showed up against Arkansas in 2025, and the pressure-generating close that creates chaos without always finishing the sack. Six career forced fumbles happen because of a motor that runs at full speed through the entire play — he's closing on the ball carrier even when the primary assignment is lost.
Versatility is the third strength. He's effective from both three-point and two-point stances, on either side of the line, across multiple front configurations. Tennessee trusted him in multiple packages, confirming the alignment flexibility that will make him valuable to NFL coordinators running hybrid fronts.
CONCERNS
Size is the structural concern that no amount of talent fully eliminates. At 240 lbs against NFL guards weighing 330+ lbs, the leverage battle on early downs becomes more challenging than anything he faced in college. Adding 12-15 lbs of functional mass at the NFL level without losing the first-step quickness and bend that make him effective is the key developmental challenge. At 240, he currently plays on the light side of what an NFL 4-3 end can sustain against full-time run responsibilities.
Sack production has been inconsistent — career 9.5 sacks over four seasons, including a frustrating 1.5-sack year in 2024 despite the elite PFF grade. The gap between pressure generation and sack finishing is a real concern: his pass-rush counters are developing but not yet automatic, and when a tackle adjusts to his speed rush early in a rep, he occasionally runs himself out of the play. The tweener risk also looms: too light for a full-time 4-3 end, potentially not flexible enough for a true 3-4 OLB role with coverage responsibilities.
SCOUT GRADES
The scouts diverge sharply on Josephs. Scout 1 graded him at 63/100 with a R2, Pick 55-75 projection — crediting the elite run defense, consistent motor, and developing pass-rush arsenal while flagging the size concern and sack-finishing inconsistency as legitimate ceiling limiters. The Preston Smith comp captures the trajectory well: a strong-side end who develops gradually into a 7-9 sack contributor in the right scheme. Scout 2 came in much more bearish at 72, projecting R3, Pick 80-100 — specifically characterizing his run defense as a liability (4/10 grade, citing get-washed moments against Georgia and Florida) and his versatility as limited. The scouts see fundamentally different players watching the same film, which suggests the evaluation uncertainty is real.
PROJECTION
Josephs' dynasty value in IDP formats is specifically around tackle accumulation and forced fumble production. His run-defense dominance means he's on the field on early downs, generating realistic 80-100 tackle ceilings annually if he wins a starting role. The 6 career forced fumbles confirm a disruption rate that translates to IDP scoring even in seasons where sacks are limited. The ceiling as a sack producer — if the pass-rush develops with NFL coaching — is 7-9 sacks annually by Year 3-4, which is genuine starter-level production.
The dynasty buy range is late Day 2 in rookie drafts — don't overpay for the two-way PFF grade, but don't let legitimate starter upside fall too far. A team with a 3-4 base defense or a hybrid-front DC who can use Josephs' versatility on both sides of the ball is the landing spot that unlocks his ceiling.
View Joshua Josephs's full player profile, measurables, and scouting breakdown →
🎬 All-22 Film Analysis Update
*Updated after All-22 film review by Scout1 and Scout2.*
Film Score: 67.5/100 (→ No change from base score of 67.5)
Composite Score: 69
Scout1 Assessment Joshua Josephs is an explosive, high-motor EDGE rusher from Tennessee who quietly put together one of the more complete resumes among mid-round pass rushers in the 2026 class. His PFF grades — 91.4 in run defense and 86.4 in pass rush — are legitimately elite, and the film backs it up: he sets the edge with authority, shows a developing toolkit of pass-rush counters, and has outstanding pursuit instincts. The case against him is straightforward: at 6'3", 240 lbs, he's undersized for a 4-3 end an...
Scout2 Assessment Josephs isn't the next elite pass rusher; he's a boom specialist with bust run defense written all over. Pass unless falling to Day 3.
*Film analysis is based on All-22 footage reviewed independently by two scouts. Scores reflect on-field evidence and may differ from pre-film model projections.*