3 Notre Dame prospects the Jacksonville Jaguars should target in the 2023 NFL Draft

2. Notre Dame draft prospect the Jaguars should target: Brandon Joseph

The Jaguars are one of the teams looking for a ball-hawk safety in the NFL draft. Notre Dame's Brandon Joesph fits a lot of what the Jags need at safety. Scouting reports on Joseph rave about his instincts to create turnovers and his ball skills. He also has one of the highest passing game football IQs in the draft.

Joseph has experience at the college level in complex defenses, making him an immediate compliment in the Jaguars' defensive backfield. At 6'1 and 202 pounds, he has the prototypical size for an NFL safety. His athletic testing at the combine showed above-average speed, strength, and agility, which has helped him creep up draft boards.

In 2020, Joseph was an All-American at Northwestern before making headlines by transferring to Notre Dame through the transfer portal in 2022. He was projected to be drafted in the first round before a mildly disappointing and injury-plagued season. He showed flashes of his ability early in the season against Marshall and Ohio State, racking up 12 tackles and a pair of big third-down stops.

Joseph appears to check all the boxes the Jags need at safety. On the other hand, he missed several routine open-field tackles against Michigan last year at Notre Dame. Some draft reports have noted he has poor acceleration through transitions and lacks agility in short areas.

These analyses have Joseph slightly undervalued as the 13th-ranked safety with a total draft score of 65. He has the football IQ and leadership abilities the Jags lack and the physicality to develop into a solid starter. Brandon Joseph would be a steal for the Jags with their 4th-round pick, #121.