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Washington Commanders select Joshua Josephs in 5th round of 2026 NFL Draft

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp04/25/26

The Washington Commanders have selected Tennessee EDGE Joshua Josephs with the No. 147 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Josephs was taken with a fifth-round selection.

Josephs spent his whole four-year career at Tennessee, one of the rare players these days to enjoy that kind of longevity in one place. He made it count, too.

By the time he left Tennessee, Joshua Josephs had racked up 104 tackles, 22.0 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and nine passes defended. That’s quite a good deal of production for an EDGE prospect.

He was once named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, earning that nod in September 2024. He had a monster game against Oklahoma, posting three tackles, a TFL, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Joshua Josephs also showed out in a game against Mississippi State in September 2025. He racked up a career-high nine tackles with one sack and 1.5 TFLs and scored his first-career touchdown on a 41-yard fumble return, earning Panini Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week honors.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Joshua Josephs

One of the things scouts love about Josephs is his wingspan. He’s very long, boasting 34.25-inch arms. That helps him with his reach coming off the edge.

He’s not quite as agile as you’d like an EDGE defender to be, needing to work on hip sink to be able to bend the edge more effectively. Still, there’s a lot to like.

So what are the experts saying? Well, the NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein evaluated Joshua Josephs ahead of the draft:

“Long, upright edge defender with an NBA-caliber wingspan and room to continue filling out his frame. Josephs uses his arms to stay separated from blocks and spill runs wide. However, he needs to get bigger and stronger to better support the run against NFL blocking. He has long strides and plus closing burst to chase and capture.

“His pass rush is the same on every snap, showing good burst and effort but a predictable track that is slowed by force. He’s not a natural bender, so adding go-to moves, a functional inside counter and better rush plans will be essential. With added weight and continued schooling, Josephs could deliver much more consistent production than he’s provided so far.”