Under-the-radar Tennessee Vols defender named as a 'wild card' who could quickly rise up draft boards in the 2026 NFL Draft
A somewhat under-the-radar Tennessee Vols defender was named by Pro Football Focus this week as a "wild card" who could quickly rise up draft boards ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft next spring. PFF thinks Vols senior edge rusher Joshua Josephs could play his way into being a first round selection in the 2026 NFL […]
A somewhat under-the-radar Tennessee Vols defender was named by Pro Football Focus this week as a "wild card" who could quickly rise up draft boards ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft next spring.
PFF thinks Vols senior edge rusher Joshua Josephs could play his way into being a first round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Josephs, according to PFF, led all edge rushers last season with a 91.4 run defense grade.
From PFF: Josephs was part of a deep rotation of Tennessee defensive linemen, but he made the most of his 353 snaps. The junior led all edge defenders in the nation with a 91.4 run-defense grade in 2024 and was one of only three edges in America who earned 85-plus grades as both a run defender and as a pass-rusher.
Like his former teammate, James Pearce Jr., Josephs has an explosive get-off that allows him to blow up blockers before they even know what hit them. And like Pearce, he can become a first-round pick if he can keep up this level of play under a heavier workload next season.
With James Pearce no longer on Rocky Top (Pearce was a first round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft), it's imperative that Josephs steps up as a premier pass rusher this fall.
And Tennessee's coaching staff believes that Josephs is ready to make that jump.
"I think Joshua Josephs has done a really good job so far this spring trying to be a leader and take his game to another level," said Vols defensive line coach Rodney Garner earlier this spring. "It's encouraging to see the guys come out there and really try to work at their craft and understand that it's a process."
Seeing Pearce get selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is something that Vols outside linebackers coach Levorn Harbin (Coach Chop) believes will motivate Josephs in 2025.
"Those two guys came in together as really good friends, so that's a motivating factor for [Josephs]," said Harbin in March. "He's happy to see James have all of the hoopla and talk about being a first-rounder. He's happy for him, but he can see where he needs to improve and also take his game a little bit to a different level than James. He has an extra gear, so he should."
Josephs, a former four-star recruit, has totaled 5.5 sacks, 71 tackles, and 17 tackles for loss during his first three seasons at Tennessee.
