Welcome to the NFL, Joshua Josephs. The Tennessee edge rusher was picked up by the Washington Commanders with the 147th overall pick in the fifth round on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
Josephs is Tennessee’s fourth player to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft this weekend, following Colton Hood to the Giants in the second round, Chris Brazzell to the Panthers in the third round, and Jermod McCoy to the Raiders in the fourth round. Josephs is the 21st drafted player from Tennessee during the Josh Heupel era.
The 6-foot-3 prospect is the Commanders’ third pick in the draft so far. Previously, they selected linebacker Sonny Styles in the first round and wide receiver Antonio Williams in the third round.
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Josephs heads to Washington after being a four-year player at the University of Tennessee. During his career as a whole, Josephs racked up 104 total tackles, eight pass deflections, 9.5 sacks, and six forced fumbles. He is coming off a senior season in which he produced 33 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown in 11 games played.
While James Pearce Jr. was the Vols’ spotlight EDGE rusher in 2024, Josephs still played very well. That year, he played in all 13 games, including the College Football Playoffs loss to Ohio State. He recorded 39 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Josephs now gives the Commanders an exciting, young EDGE rusher to add to their defense. He’s got a wealth of defensive line knowledge after playing under Rodney Garner for the last four years and still has plenty of room to blossom into a talented player in the league.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more NFL Draft coverage on Saturday.
