Watch: Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph’s college highlights

Overall, it seemed as if much of the fan base was happy with what the Detroit Lions had done thus far in the 2022 NFL draft. They drafted the local guy in Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson. General manager Brad Holmes showed us a different side of him, getting aggressive and moving up 20 spots to take Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams.

Some weren’t overly enthusiastic about using the 46th overall pick on another EDGE defender in Josh Paschal, but as others have noted, defensive line and more specifically, the three-technique, was still a sneaky need for the Lions.

Still, there was one position that almost anyone would tell you needed help, and that is at safety.

2018 draft pick Tracy Walker was brought back on a new three-year, $25 million deal, making him the elder statesman and leader of an otherwise young and unproven secondary. Will Harris has had his issues through the years, but to be fair to him, he hasn’t had the easiest set of circumstances to deal with. Whether we are citing the previous coaching regime attempting to make players do things they clearly aren’t comfortable with, or the fact that during Harris’ time in Detroit, the pass rush hasn’t exactly been a force.

Beyond that, DeShon Elliott was signed to a one-year deal this offseason. Special teams’ ace C.J. Moore is only signed through 2022. Same for Jalen Elliott and JuJu Hughes. As you can see, it’s easy to understand why so many Lions fans were pounding the table for the team to take a safety early.

Which brings us to Kerby Joseph - a ball-hawking safety from the University of Illinois. Again, we can look back at Brad Holmes’ comments about wanting game-changers on the roster, and with the way Joseph forces turnovers, it’s easy to see why the Lions made him their third-round pick.

Let’s take a look at some of his highlights from his time in Champaign by starting off with a video put together by the Lions, and the moment Joseph heard his name announced (Via his IG live).

Compilations/Highlights

Interviews

Quick Clips/Breakdowns