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Detroit Lions to sign Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph as undrafted free agent

IMG_9992by: Tyler Horka04/29/23tbhorka
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Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Brandon Joseph’s one season in South Bend wasn’t good enough to get him taken in the NFL Draft. But the Detroit Lions are taking a chance on the former Notre Dame safety anyway.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Lions are set to sign Joseph as an undrafted free agent.

Joseph transferred to Notre Dame in January 2022 after three seasons at Northwestern. He redshirted there in 2019 before breaking out as an All-American in 2020. He led the team with 6 interceptions, one of which came in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. Ohio State, in the COVID-shortened season. He only played in eight games.

Joseph’s stellar sophomore season earned him team captain status in 2021. He logged a career-high 79 total tackles, but his INT total was cut in half from 6 to 3. He recorded the first sack of his career, which turned out to be the only one he’d ever get at the college level.

Notre Dame brought Joseph in with visions of turning him back into an All-American type of player. It didn’t transpire that way. Joseph had 30 total tackles and just 1 interception in 10 games played. He was hampered by an ankle injury for much of the season. The lone interception came on the first pass of the game at Syracuse. He turned it for a touchdown to get the Fighting Irish off to a terrific start in a hostile environment.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein was most concerned with Joseph’s tackling ability going into the draft. Inconsistencies there might have prevented the College Station, Texas, product from getting drafted.

“Joseph has adequate size and a good football IQ, but he must prove he can become a more technically sound tackler for consideration as an interchangeable safety,” Zierlein wrote. “He sees the field fairly clearly as a free safety. He has the ball skills and instincts to help coral and challenge action in front of him.

“While he can be a punishing hitter when running the alley, tackling inconsistencies in the open field could be hard for teams to overlook. Joseph’s traits and special teams talent give him the opportunity to battle for a backup safety spot as a Day 3 selection.”

Notre Dame only had three players taken in the 2023 draft, which was still one more than last year. Tight end Michael Mayer went to the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round, and defensive end Isaiah Foskey went to the New Orleans Saints just a few picks later in the same round. Offensive Jarrett Patterson went off the board to the Houston Texans in the sixth round.

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