Kerby Joseph: I See Multiple Interception Games

Development in leadership

Joseph is looking to keep the interception crown in 2025, as he made good on a goal he set for himself at the beginning of the year. Safeties coach Jim O'Neil noted prior to last season that Joseph made life difficult for opponents in the middle of the field, and now has higher expectations for both he and Brian Branch.

In particular, Joseph has refined his ability from being simply a ball-hawk to someone who can prevent big plays and be reliable as an open-field tackler. Safeties coach Jim O'Neil admitted he was impressed by the Illinois' product initially, then came away even more excited about it after reviewing the film.

"As far as on the grass, everybody talks about the ball-production which is obviously rare," O'Neil said. "But one of the things I'm most proud of with him is I thought he did an unbelievable job in open-field tackling last year. And it was even more impressive than I thought when I went back and watched the cut-ups. You're looking for two things when you're known as a post-safety: Obviously a guy that can go get the ball, and a guy that can erase mistakes when the ball pops. I thought he did an outstanding job of that, and that was a huge point of emphasis for us coming off his season two years ago to last year."

Additionally, though he just finished only his third NFL season, Joseph has ascended as a leader. With Branch being a year lighter on experience, and Morice Norris and Loren Strickland being undrafted free agents, he's become a veteran of the room.

As a result, he hosted weekly dinners on Thursday nights and allowed for the defensive players to bond over a chef-catered meal. It points to his development as a leader and steadying force, not just a player, which was integral for a Lions defense that dealt with plenty of injury turnover throughout last season.

"One of the things Kerb did last year was he had all the guys over to his house on Thursday nights to create some group camaraderie," O'Neil explained. "He paid for a chef so they could eat dinner and just kind of hang out together. Just his leadership in the meeting room, like, 'Hey, make sure you right that down,' or re-emphasize a coaching point that he might know for a player. That's hard on the grass."

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