Steelers Predicted to Cut Former Highly Touted Draft Pick

Mike Tomlin

Getty Mike Tomlin's Steelers could release safety Karl Joseph.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be forced to make some tough decisions about their final 53-man roster.

In projecting the team’s opening-day roster, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor left safety Karl Joseph off of it. The former first-round draft pick spent last season with the Steelers after he was released during roster cut-downs by the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the start of 2021.

Joseph, 28, didn’t make his active roster debut until October, appearing in just two games with the Steelers.

In Pryor’s projected safety outlook, starters Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds — along with backups Miles Killebrew and Damontae Kazee — make the final roster over Joseph, who she predicted would be in the running for a role on the team.

“No real surprises in this group, although look for former Dallas Cowboys safety Kazee to give the Steelers more quality depth at the position than they had last season,” Pryor wrote on June 21. “Also keep an eye on former Raiders first-round pick Karl Joseph to make a push for a roster spot with a strong training camp.”


Joseph Was Once Highly Touted Safety

Joseph is best known for the first four seasons his career, when he started 41 of his 49 appearance with the Raiders from 2016 until 2019. He also spent one season with the Cleveland Browns, starting eight of his 14 appearances during the 2020 season.

Outside of being a former first-round draft pick, Joseph actually spent the majority of his time with the Raiders as one of the better safeties in the league. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound veteran posted defensive grades of 71.2, 67.8, 74.5 and 69.9 during his first four seasons with the Raiders, according to Pro Football Focus. Joseph was ranked 24th (74.5 defensive grade) among all safeties (with at least 500 snaps) during the 2018 season.

However, he’s failed to make a significant positive impact on a defensive unit since the 2019 season, posting a 52.8 defensive grade and 53.3 grade in coverage in 2020 with the Browns. Furthermore, a major concern is Joseph’s lack of durability. Despite having played six seasons in the league, Joseph has never played a full season.

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Joseph Might Have to Beat Out Kazee for Roster Spot

Due to Joseph’s late start with the Steelers — he didn’t sign with the practice squad until September — he might have been at a disadvantage when it came to making the team last season.

If Pittsburgh keeps only four safeties on the roster entering the 2022 season, Joseph could find himself as the odd man out, even with a strong training camp. Killebrew is a special teams ace, appearing in 335 snaps (68% of plays) on the unit last season.

Meanwhile, Damontae Kazee signed a one-year deal with the Steelers after spending last season as a starter for the Cowboys. The former interceptions leader has started 49 of his 69 career games. In other words, if Joseph wants to ensure his spot on the Steelers, he’ll likely have to beat out the veteran Kazee.

The Steelers kept four safeties active for most of last season, with Joseph acting as a fifth safety inactive on most game days.

It’s unlikely the Steelers would keep Joseph around for a second consecutive season on the active roster as a sparsely used safety. The backup safety spot battle between Kazee and Joseph will likely determine who ends up on the 53-man roster for the season.

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