The Washington Commanders drafted University of Tennessee edge defender Joshua Josephs with the No. 187 overall pick. Here are five things to know about their newest pass rusher.
1. He's a well-rounded player.
Josephs was a Day 3 pick, so he certainly has plenty to work on in the NFL to be a meaningful contributor. However, in terms of offering something against the pass and run, there weren't many prospects who could offer more than him.
Although Josephs was part of the Volunteers' rotation since his freshman season, he didn't truly start to emerge as a legitimate prospect until two years ago. He was known more for his abilities as a run-stopper with 72 tackles over the last two seasons, but he also offered some production as a pass rusher, recording 5.5 of his 9.5 sacks in that span. His 32 pressures in 2025 led the Volunteers' defense, recording four quarterback hits in addition to his sacks.
Josephs earned positive grades for run defense (77) and pass rush grade (90.6) from Pro Football Focus, which falls in line with how he's played for most of his career. In 2024, he led all edge defenders with a 91.4 run defense grade with an 86.4 pass rush grade. He also put up positive grades in both areas (74.9 and 78.4, respectively) in 2023, albeit on a limited snap count.
Part of the reason why Josephs was considered such a value pick by Washington is because of his ability to contribute on multiple levels of the defense, and while he might not be a starter, the Commanders certainly need as much help as possible on the ground and in the air.
2. He's disruptive at the line of scrimmage.
One of the biggest criticisms about Josephs' skill set is that he needs to get bigger to win against NFL linemen. He's 242 pounds, which simply won't cut it against bigger and stronger offensive tackles. However, Josephs already knows how to be disruptive in the run game and was quite good at it in college.
In his four seasons as part of the Tennessee defense, 22 of Josephs' 104 tackles were recorded for a loss. Nine of those came in 2024, when Josephs ranked second on the team. In 2025, PFF notes that 20 of Josephs' tackles resulted in a "failure" for opposing offenses, meaning runs were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Josephs was also one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC when it came to forcing turnovers. He led the team and ranked fourth in the SEC in forced fumbles in 2024 and tied for 15th in the FBS with three in 2025. What's more, he recovered four fumbles in his final two seasons. So, not only does he create turnover opportunities, but he also provides them for his offense.
3. He's got a massive wingspan.
While Josephs doesn't have elite height or weight, he does have rare arm length. They measure at 34.25 inches, giving him some of the longest arms for his position and the entire class.
Josephs' University of Tennessee bio lists his wingspan at 82 inches -- just four inches shy of seven feet. So, just for context, here are some things that are shorter or at a similar length:
- longer than a queen-size bed (80 inches)
- two inches longer than Michael Jordan is tall
- just five inches shorter than Shaquille O'Neal
- the equivalent of seven-and-a-half footballs
The hope is that Josephs will use that length to swat down passes at the line of scrimmage. He had nine pass deflections in college, including six in 2024 and 2025 combined.
4. His mom isa big fan of Dan Quinn.
It was a special moment for Josephs' entire family when he was drafted, but it might have meant something a little more to his mom.
It turns out that Josephs' mom is a big fan of Commanders head coach Dan Quinn dating back to when he coached the Atlanta Falcons. His mom lived in Georgia at the time, and Josephs said that "she always believed he was an amazing coach, and she just respected him and got a lot of appreciation towards him."
When Josephs visited the Commanders' facility prior to being drafted, Quinn even let him take a picture of the two together to give to his mom. Now, Josephs gets to be a part of Quinn's culture in Washington, and he has already confirmed that his mom will make the trip up to watch practice at some point.
"I believe she is just happy," Josephs said. "Probably the happiest she's ever been, but yeah, it is very good. It's a blessing and it's just unbelievable."
5. His first sack came against Jayden Daniels.
Josephs already has experience with the Commanders' starting quarterback, and it's a moment he'll never forget.
The play came in Week 6 of the 2022 season, when Daniels, who had just transferred from Arizona State, and LSU hosted Tennessee. Daniels dropped back and began surveying his options, but the Volunteers didn't give him much time to dissect their coverage. The defensive tackle shot through the "B" gap, which drew the attention of the left guard and tackle. It left the middle of LSU's protection wide open, and Josephs, who ran directly behind the defensive tackle, had a clear lane to Daniels on the sack.
Josephs said he was "too ecstatic" to say anything to Daniels since it was the first of his career, but there wasn't much to say anyway.
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