One Cowboys rookie who raises expectations is Kelvin Joseph. Chosen in the second round of the 2021 Draft, Joseph was expected to join Trevon Diggs at the Dallas cornerback spots. However, an injury at the end of the preseason slowed his projection. Now, Kentucky’s product will have a chance to prove its worth.
This Saturday it became known that Joseph was activated from the Dallas injured reserve. This was reported by Jon Machota from The Athletic on his Twitter account. According to Machota, Joseph is expected to make his NFL debut this Sunday night against the Vikings. However, it is estimated that his participation is mostly in the special teams.
Joseph had been on the Cowboys’ injured reserve since late August. This, remember, after a left groin injury suffered in the last preseason game against the Jaguars.
Cowboys rookie CB Kelvin Joseph has been activated from the injured reserve. He’ll make his debut tomorrow night, likely on special teams.
The team also elevated DT Justin Hamilton from the practice squad.
– Jon Machota (jonmachota) October 30, 2021
Will Joseph be able to prove his worth upon his return?
Right now, the backline is the weakest point in the Cowboys defense. This has seen Dallas rank 28th in the NFL in passing defense after seven weeks, allowing an average of 295 yards per game. And while Trevon Diggs has been a great performer, the team needs to raise the bar at the other cornerback spot.
Now, with the return of Kelvin Joseph, it remains to be seen if this is possible. As in training camp, the rookie is expected to compete with Anthony Brown for the start. It is worth noting that Brown has been criticized for his performance in some games this season. A clear example of this was in week 1 against Tampa Bay.
However, it remains to be seen whether Joseph can improve these benefits.
Remember that the young cornerback has not had an ideal start to his professional career with the Cowboys. Joseph missed much of the mini-camp and organized team activities (OTAs) while in quarantine due to COVID-19. Then, at camp, he was outmatched more than once by third-round rookie Nahshon Wright.
Besides, let’s not forget that Kelvin Joseph did not perform well during the Dallas preseason. The rookie cornerback was soft on coverage, being easily outscored by rivals. Two clear examples of this occurred in the games against the Cardinals and the Jaguars.
Cowboys rookie Kelvin Joseph will learn in time hopefully you gotta deal with the push off like Christian Kirk gave him here #DALvsAZ #CowboysNation pic.twitter.com/U4xvF3ZTM1
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) August 14, 2021
Cowboys rookie corner Kelvin Joseph (yes with a slight push off) by Phillip Dorsett gets beat on a beautiful throw by Trevor Lawrence ???? #CowboysNation pic.twitter.com/T61Kk57lKe
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) August 29, 2021
Despite his performance during camp and preseason, Joseph was designated as Anthony Brown’s competitor for a spot on the starting team. This, it seems, was more of a decision driven by the young cornerback’s second-round pick status rather than his performance. Even third-round rookie Nahshon Wright was getting more credit to compete for the spot against Brown.
Now, after his return, the rookie will have to prove his worth against a cowboy team that needs to improve in defense of passes. To do this, Joseph will have to live up to the numbers he showed in the 2020 season in Kentucky: 25 tackles combined, 0.5 tackles for loss of yards, four interceptions, a defended pass and a touchdown. All this in 9 meetings.
Although Kelvin Joseph could make his NFL debut tonight, his involvement during this and upcoming games is expected to be primarily on special teams. For now, the rookie cornerback will have to work hard to prove himself and earn a spot on the starting team. Let’s just hope that Joseph can erase what he showed in the preseason and perform according to the expectations that surround him.
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