Kansas City Chiefs: Kelvin Joseph is an ideal Day 2 draft target

The Kansas City Chiefs need to nab a cornerback early in the draft and Kelvin Joseph is someone to keep an eye on. 

Quietly, the Kansas City Chiefs have a rather sizeable need, long-term, at cornerback. With Bashaud Breeland likely leaving this offseason and questions surrounding Charvarius Ward, who is a restricted free agent currently and is an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season.

Beyond that, the Chiefs have the great unknowns of late-round picks BoPete Keyes and Rashad Fenton. Needless to say, another quality corner would be an ideal addition for the Chiefs in the draft.

With the first round likely reserved for an offensive player, very possibly a lineman, the Chiefs will need to look at later rounds in the draft to address the corner spot. I view the cornerback position as more valuable and important at times than Brett Veach and the Chiefs organization does, but, finding a corner fairly early is vital.

With that in mind, we take a look at an intriguing prospect, Kentucky corner Kelvin Joseph.

Quick Facts

• Redshirt sophomore
• 6-1″/190 pounds
• 15 games played
• 37 tackles/Four interceptions/One return touchdown
• Baton Rouge, LA

Kelvin Joseph signed with hometown LSU out of high school in 2018. After playing in five games as a true freshman with LSU, Joseph transferred to Kentucky. After sitting out the 2019 season due to transfer rules, Joseph played in nine games for Kentucky, recording four interceptions including a pick-six, along with 25 tackles.

What To Like

There are a lot of traits to like in Joseph’s game. He has good size, and despite limited experience, displayed comfort playing in both a pressman type coverage and off-man/zone coverage. With good size and often appears comfortable in coverage deep (trusts instincts as opposed to grabbing with hands), Joseph has the potential to be a solid cornerback in the NFL.  Very similar to 2020 Chiefs rookie L’Jarius Sneed, Joseph has potential at cornerback and the physicality to perhaps help at safety.

What Needs Work

The biggest two issues with Joseph are his lack of experience and speed. There is nothing really that can be helped with the experience, but it will be interesting to see what Joseph runs. The other question I have is how good a blitzer is Joseph? The Chiefs like using corners to blitz backside pressures, as they did often with Sneed this past season.

Kelvin Joseph is an ideal target for the Kansas City Chiefs and could help their secondary tremendously.

Joseph, both in size and play style reminds me of current Chief defensive back Charvarius Ward coming into the draft. While Ward’s experience on the field shows at times, Joseph is a better athlete, but I would anticipate the same schedule in terms of contributing as a rookie.

Joseph likely will require some additional work in training camp and plenty of snaps in the preseason (if the games are played) but his athletic tools with professional coaching could lead to a contributor in the second half of the 2021 season, and compete for a starting spot as a second-year player in 2022.

I anticipate Kelvin Joseph coming off the board on the second day of the draft. If the Chiefs are going to target him, they would be hoping to nab him in the second round of the draft.