A name you probably haven't heard this football season but will likely hear in the 2018 NFL Draft is Michael Joseph, a cornerback out of Dubuque who is a rare Division 3 player at the Senior Bowl.
[divider]COMPARE: Michael Joseph to Any Player | Dubuque to Any Team[divider]
Since the Senior Bowl has been run by Phil Savage (six years), Joseph is just the second Division 3 prospect to earn an invite. But it's not a gesture or a token invite — Joseph is the real deal.
Dubuque head coach Stan Zweifel told the Chicago Tribune that the Chicago Bears — who drafted Division 2 tight end Adam Shaheen (Ashland) last year along with D2 offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (Kutztown) and FCS running back Tarik Cohen (North Carolina A&T) — were the first to visit the Dubuque campus last spring, and since then 31 of 32 NFL teams have sent a scout to see Joseph.
Those scouts had good reason to visit. Joseph is 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and racked up 56 tackles, 8 interceptions, 8 pass breakups and 16 passes defended this season, with a QB hit and a tackle for loss to boot.
He used his abilities to impress everyone at the Senior Bowl from day one.
Here's what NFL Network draft scout Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) — who called Joseph the "official winner of 1-on-1's the first day of the senior bowl" — had to say about the Division 3 prospect:
"Dubuque CB Michael Joseph is a player to get to know. He was excellent on Tuesday. The Senior Bowl is a huge opportunity for players like Joseph, who are coming from the lower ranks, to show they can compete against top talent, and he took full advantage of that chance. He played the deep ball well, and did a nice job covering Miami WR Braxton Berrios underneath. I haven't studied Joseph on tape, so I'm looking forward to watching him."
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NEXT: SDSU Tight End Dallas Goedert Impresses Early at Senior Bowl
