Sportsvival turns its season‑end scouting lens to defensive playmakers for the 2026 NFL Draft; today’s profile spotlights Tennessee edge rusher Joshua Josephs, a high‑motor, technically polished defender whose 2025 tape and disruptive production have pushed him into early second-round conversations among pass‑rush prospects.
Tennessee, Edge, Joshua Josephs- 6'3", 240 lbs
Background and Recruit Profile
High School: North Cobb High School (Kennesaw, Georgia); a multi‑year standout who drew Power Five interest for his pass‑rush instincts and motor.
High School Production: Senior season: 121 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 8 sacks. Emerged as a consistent disruptor with strong senior‑year tape that earned him a scholarship to Tennessee.
Physical Profile and Measurables
Height/Weight: 6’ 3”, 240 lbs.
Frame: Compact, muscular build that projects well as a sub‑package edge or base‑end in multiple fronts.
Athletic traits: twitchy first step, sudden hand usage, and a relentless pursuit effort that allows him to close on quarterbacks and ballcarriers.
College Career and Production
Tennessee through 2025: Josephs developed into a reliable rotational edge who earned increased snaps and responsibility in 2025.
2025 season totals: 4.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 17 solo tackles. Game logs show consistent situational usage with multiple games producing pressures and tackles for loss as he carved out a role in the Volunteers’ front seven.
Strengths
Pass‑rush toolkit: Quick first step, effective rip and swim moves, and the hand‑fighting savvy to separate from blockers.
Motor and pursuit: Plays through the whistle; chases plays sideline‑to‑sideline and finishes tackles.
Turnover creation: Demonstrated knack for forcing fumbles in 2025, a trait that boosts his draft value.
Technique and leverage: Uses pad level and hand placement to win inside‑out, especially on short‑area rushes.
Weaknesses
Size ceiling for every‑down role: At 240 lbs, some NFL evaluators may view him as a situational edge rather than a three‑down defensive end without added bulk or scheme fit.
Snap share and consistency: While disruptive, Josephs’ overall snap percentage and raw production trail the very top tier of 2026 edge prospects; teams will want sustained pressure rates.
Athletic testing: NFL teams will seek verified combine and pro‑day metrics to confirm burst and short‑area explosiveness beyond game tape.
Player Profile and Projection
Draft projection: Late first to early second round depending on pre‑draft testing and team scheme fit. Role projection: Day‑1 rotational pass rusher who can expand into a full‑time edge role in sub‑packages and on third downs. Ceiling: a multi‑down starter with consistent pressure and turnover upside. Floor: a high‑impact situational rusher.
Pro Comparison
Shaquil Barrett.
Barrett built a long NFL career by converting quickness, technique, and relentless effort into consistent production. Like Barrett, Josephs projects as a compact, technically sound edge who wins with hand usage, leverage, and finishing ability rather than pure length or freak athleticism. That profile suggests Josephs could follow a similar path: immediate situational value with the potential to grow into a dependable starter in the right scheme.
Sportsvival View
Sportsvival views Joshua Josephs as a dependable, scheme‑versatile edge prospect whose high‑school production (121 tackles, 22 TFL, 8 sacks) and 2025 college production (4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles) make him an intriguing early‑round target for teams seeking immediate pass‑rush depth and turnover upside. Strong pre‑draft testing and expanded snap usage could elevate him into the late‑first round; without those, he projects as a high‑value early‑second‑round pick who becomes a consistent NFL situational starter.