Newsletter

What impression did Kelvin Joseph make on his starting debut for Dallas?

Sunday night’s game between Dallas and Washington left many positive notes on the cowboy team beyond their resounding victory. One of them has to do with rookie Kelvin Joseph’s starting debut. And the overall impression the young cornerback left was good.

Recall that, after the COVID-19 loss of Jourdan Lewis, the Cowboys had to make some position changes against Washington. By moving Anthony Brown to the inside corner job usually held by Lewis, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn opted to give Joseph the starting job. Given this opportunity, the Kentucky product did not disappoint.

Against the Football Team, Joseph recorded three combined tackles, one tackle for loss of yards and two passes defended. He even came close to getting an interception, which could have been Dallas’ third in that game. Plus, the rookie did a good overall job in both coverage and running defense.

Like all rookies, Joseph still has a lot to improve. And it is also true that he faced a low-level offense. Either way, that doesn’t taint the debut of a player who has had a far-from-ideal first year in the NFL.

Recall that Kelvin Joseph came to the Cowboys as a second-round pick in the 2021 Draft. This, mainly, after Dallas couldn’t pick Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn, their main targets in the first round. Either way, the coaching staff had faith in the capabilities of Kentucky’s product and so they chose to choose it.

However, things did not work out for Joseph in the beginning. The cornerback missed some of the Dallas minicamp and OTAs in the offseason due to COVID-19. Then, in training camp, he was designated to compete against Anthony Brown for the start. However, his failures in preseason games left a lot to be desired.

Lastly, Joseph suffered an injury in the final preseason game against the Jaguars. This started the season on injured reserve, which prevented him from playing until Week 8. From there, after joining the active roster, the rookie cornerback has played mostly on special teams in Dallas.

The loss of Jourdan Lewis last week undoubtedly provided a great opportunity for Joseph. It is true that Maurice Canady was emerging as the candidate to replace Lewis as an inside cornerback. However, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn opted to shift Anthony Brown and give Joseph a vote of confidence. And the second-round pick did not disappoint.

What does the rest of the campaign hold for Joseph?

It is true that once Jourdan Lewis is off the COVID-19 list, Anthony Brown will resume his position as left cornerback. And, in turn, Kelvin Joseph would return to his role on special teams. However, his performance in his starting debut may open up more opportunities for him in the Dallas defense.

For now, Joseph is likely to have more of a role in the rotation of the Western defense in the next few games. And this, heading into the postseason, will be an advantage for the Cowboys. This, of course, as long as the rookie doesn’t deliver performances like he did in preseason against the Cardinals and Jaguars.

Besides, there are also the implications for the future. If Joseph continues to show a good level of play, the Cowboys may not have to choose a cornerback in the first or second round of the next draft. This, of course, depending on the level of confidence the coaching staff has in fellow rookie Nahshon Wright, a third-round pick in 2021.

It remains to be seen then whether Kelvin Joseph has more chances in upcoming games. If Jourdan Lewis doesn’t get out of the COVID-19 protocol in time, the rookie cornerback may be a starter against Arizona this Sunday. Of course, we will know this based on the reports given by the Cowboys throughout the week.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending