Joseph short on experience, not self-confidence

By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

Before the draft, Marvin Lewis talked about the number of draft-eligible cornerbacks who had limited experience in Division I football.

Lewis and the Bengals went ahead and drafted one in the first round Saturday, South Carolina’s Johnathan Joseph.

Joseph, who played one season of junior college football at Coffeyville (Kan.), also played just a little more than one season at South Carolina.

Joseph suffered a broken right foot in the second game of the 2004 season against Georgia. Joseph then played in 12 games with 11 starts for the Gamecocks in 2005.

He had 55 total tackles, nine broken up passes and four interceptions – one returned for a touchdown – in 2005. Joseph also returned six kickoffs for a 23.5-yard average.

"He’s a guy who has the height, the speed and the athleticism to make cuts in and out of the breaks that you look for in a tall corner," Lewis said.

Joseph is 5-feet, 11-inches, 193 pounds.

"I bring a lot of playmaking ability," Joseph said. "I’m a great player, a great teammate in the locker room and a great guy in the community. I can bring great all-around play to the defensive unit."

Though he has limited Division I experience, Joseph has some of the physical tools that make him an ideal cornerback.

"You look at the ability to move your feet (and) the ability to flip your hips and run deep," Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle said.

Coyle and defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan also said that Joseph is good at the line of scrimmage and gets his hands on receivers.

"Just the words `natural' and `smooth' is what you see on tape with this kid," Bresnahan said. "You know you’ve got a guy who is fast, quick and can pedal."

Joseph is fast, clocking a 4.31 second 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine – second best to Clemson’s Tye Hill, who went to St. Louis at No. 15 overall.

Lewis and the other coaches also said Joseph has a solid character and brings no personal baggage into the NFL.

Joseph will not be expected to start as a rookie, though coaches expect him to compete for playing time. Deltha O’Neal and Tory James, who each made the Pro Bowl in the past two seasons, are listed as the current starters.

The Bengals also have third-year player Keiwan Ratliff returning as the nickel back. Ratliff was the team’s first of two second-round draft picks in 2004.

"It gives us a guy who can come in here and compete with the players we already have," Lewis said of Joseph, who turned 22 on April 16. He has a 2-year-old son, Jay'dion.

Joseph becomes the first true cornerback drafted by the Bengals in the franchise’s 39 years of existence. The Bengals did draft Oklahoma defensive back Rickey Dixon in 1988, but he played safety in the NFL.

Joseph is excited about the Bengals.

"They have a lot of talented guys on defense," he said. "I know they drafted (fellow Southeastern Conference players) David Pollack and Odell Thurman out of Georgia last year. They have some young guys on defense that can make a lot of plays."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com