Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: CB Kelvin Joseph

Since the 2017 draft — Ted Thompson’s last as GM — the Green Bay Packers have drafted three of the same position on three occasions. In 2017, they took three running backs. In 2018 — Brian Gutekunst’s first draft — Green Bay took three receivers. And in 2020, the Packers took three interior offensive linemen in the sixth round.

Looking ahead to this year’s draft, the cornerback position is a prime candidate to continue this trend. We all know that the Packers should try to find some immediate help and upgrade the position for the 2021 season, but with Jaire Alexander being the only lock to be on the 2022 roster, this entire unit needs some retooling, and an infusion of talent from a loaded draft class could do the trick.

Kentucky’s Kelvin Joseph may not come in and be an immediate big-time contributor, but he’s someone with tremendous upside who could help solidify the cornerback position for the Green Bay Packers in the coming years.

Joseph is a raw prospect with only one year of starting experience under his belt. He began his career at LSU, playing in only 222 snaps in 2018, he then transferred to Kentucky, sitting out the 2019 season before taking over as a starter this past year.

As the Wildcats’ boundary corner, Joseph — as to be expected from a first-year starter — took some lumps, but he also flashed that high-end potential that he has as well, and undoubtedly caught the attention of some NFL teams.

When it was all said and done, Joseph was targeted 34 times over the course of the season, allowing a completion rate of 55.9 percent at 14.3 yards per catch and with four touchdowns given up. He flashed excellent ball skills, coming away with four interceptions and another pass breakup. His best performance, which displayed that upside, came against Alabama when he was targeted three times and didn’t allow a reception.

It’s also worth noting that according to PFF ($$), over 78 percent of Joseph’s snaps at Kentucky came in zone coverage, which is what the Green Bay Packers defense is going to be utilizing heavily under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

Overall, Joseph tested very well at Kentucky’s Pro-Day, measuring in at just under 6’0″ and weighing 197 pounds. He posted a Relative Athletic Score of 9.02 out of 10.0, well above the 8.0 threshold that Gutey and the Packers seem to hold. This performance included a blazing 4.34 40-yard dash, but also a not-so-hot 7.21 seconds on the 3-cone drill.

For more on what Joseph can bring to an NFL team, here is what Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network has to say about him in his pre-draft report:

"“Positives: Nice-sized cornerback with terrific ball skills and a large amount of upside. Fierce and aggressive, yet works to keep the action in front of him. Quick flipping his hips in transition, tracks the pass in the air then gets a beat on the throw and nicely times his pass defenses. Effective facing the action, quickly diagnoses plays then gets off blocks defending the run. Anticipates the action, takes good angles to plays, and uses his hands to protect himself.Negatives: Doesn’t show great play speed or burst. Gets a little twisted at times. Sits on his backpedal, which costs him.Analysis: After transferring from LSU, Joseph made an immediate impact at Kentucky last season before deciding to enter the draft. He possesses outstanding size as well as ball skills, and could start at the next level once he polishes his game.”"

Due to Joseph’s lack of experience, there is a lot of projecting that takes place when trying to figure out who he is going to be in the NFL–which is why PFF and The Draft Network’s rankings of him vary quite a bit. PFF has Joseph as the eighth-best corner in this deep class and the 67th prospect overall. Meanwhile, The Draft Network has him as the 16th best prospect and 111th player on their big board.

Currently, over at the Mock Draft Database, they have Joseph projected as a third-round selection based on the countless mock drafts and big boards they’ve logged this offseason.

If the Green Bay Packers do land Joseph, the expectation shouldn’t be that he is going to come in and take over Kevin King for the CB2 snaps. The hope should be that he sees his role increase as the season progresses, but in making this pick, it’s very much with the future in mind more so than the present.

When it comes to Joseph, a few years from now we could very well be looking back on this selection, and with hindsight, think that this pick was a no-brainer.