FRISCO, Texas — With the 44th overall pick, the Dallas Cowboys selected a cornerback. Kentucky boundary CB, Kelvin Joseph will don the Star.
Joseph was a one-year starter at Kentucky after transferring from LSU following the 2018 season. He sat out the 2019 season due to mandatory transfer rules. Like the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick, Joseph comes with character concerns. He was suspended for the 2018 bowl game due to a violation of the team’s rules. Joseph had already mentally checked out at that point and coaches reportedly told him to opt out. Despite his stellar ball skills, maturity concerns have followed him throughout his college career.
Joseph spoke with local Dallas media following his selection on the 2018 suspension and he owned up to his mistake. Certainly, cannot fault the young player for that.
“I accepted my consequences and apologized to my teammates…learn and not do it again.”
The mistake and lapse in judgment seemingly helped Joseph move forward and grow. Time will tell. He now has a fresh start in Dallas’ secondary. Throughout his two-year collegiate career (LSU-2018, Kentucky-2020), Joseph compiled 37 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, six passes defensed, and four interceptions.
He is still a raw player, having played safety in high school. However, Joseph’s speed to match receivers and aggressiveness at the catch point jump off the tape. The Cowboys’ felt his ability in the backfield outweighed the character concerns/small sample size in nine career starts.
Joseph has the athleticism and twitchy feet to swarm receivers. He will join the Cowboys defensive backs including Trevon Diggs, Rashard Robinson, Jourdan Lewis, and Anthony Brown.
When asked about the opportunity of being opposite Diggs’ in the Cowboys’ backfield, Joseph emphatically noted “we will do a lot of damage…both physical, fast and tall.”
His dream became reality and Joseph has a shot at redemption at the pro level.
