Washington Football Team v Dallas Cowboys — Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

What will Kelvin Joseph’s year two look like?

After being drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Kelvin Joseph was expected to play more of a role in year one that he did. Good seasons from Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis put Joseph in more of a reserve defensive role, and a key special teams role as a rookie. Year two was always the year the Cowboys were banking on him possibly taking over one of the starting corner spots, but that’s still not a given after some off-the-field issues that took place over the offseason.

Year One Stats

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Year Two Outlook

While we didn’t see much of Kelvin Joseph in 2021, what we did see from him was almost always positive. Joseph only saw 24% of the defensive snaps in his rookie year, but did see 49% of the special team snaps. He was the teams fourth corner and he played well in the limited action he received. Joseph was targeted 17 times in his rookie season, giving up eight receptions for 89 yards, and one touchdown. While those numbers may not seem great for a player with limited action, Joseph’s tape showed a player that didn’t look overmatched in his rookie season.

Unfortunately for Joseph, his off-the-field slate received a mark when he was involved in a Dallas, Texas murder investigation this offseason. While we have yet to hear much on if there will be any discipline sent down by the NFL or any charges from the Dallas Police Department, you never want you second-year cornerback to be involved in anything as serious as that. If Joseph is clears all the charges and suspensions from the NFL, he’ll likely slide back in as the teams fourth cornerback, pushing for playing time out of camp.

It was a good thing in 2021 that the Cowboys cornerbacks stayed relatively healthy, and avoided major injuries for the entire season. While the hope is that same good fortune follows up in 2022, having a player of Joseph’s caliber waiting in the wings is never a bad thing in a league that lacks quality cornerback depth.

Year Two Stat Projections

Games Started: 6
Interceptions: 2
Tackles: 20
Tackles For Loss: 2
Passes Defended: 6