General Manager Reggie McKenzie and Head Coach Jack Del Rio
Following the first round selection (No. 14 overall) of West Virginia safety Karl Joseph, General Manager Reggie McKenzie and Head Coach Jack Del Rio held a press conference discussing the pick.
Here is what we learned from their time at the podium.
Karl Joseph plays the game with a passion.
Reggie McKenzie: "Watching the tape, you just see it – you can feel his passion. You can feel his intensity, the way he plays. You can feel his toughness. He [has] a very aggressive mentality. He's versatile. He plays all over the field. He'll run and hit anything that moves."
Joseph did suffer a serious knee injury in college, but there are zero concerns about any lingering effects.
RM:"The medical is checking out fine. He's going to be ready to roll and our doctors gave us a thumbs up."
Coach Del Rio shared his thoughts about the newest member of the Raiders' secondary.
Jack Del Rio:"He's a guy that is very versatile and he can play at all the levels of your defense. He can come off the edge as a blitzer. He can play down in the box. He can play centerfield. He's a guy that does a great job taking angles, and he's a very effective and efficient hitter and tackler, plays with great temperament and we just think he's a really good football player."
**
"We're looking to be really good on defense."**
JDR:"We're looking to be really good on defense. We want to be a really good football team. Obviously, we've talked about secondary play, our desire to have it perform at a higher level. I think the temperament that he brings and the intensity that he plays with, the [instincts] that he has, those are things that we covet. It should be a real competitive group. We've added a couple of guys in free agency, and now to be able to add a player like Karl, it's awesome for us, and now we get to work."
Joseph spent draft day with his family… in Haiti.
RM:"I can tell you this, he and his family were extremely excited, just by the background noise. He went to spend time with his family, so he's in Haiti at this point. He's extremely excited and he's happy to be a Raider."
