Cowboys Former Second-Round Pick Faces Uncertain Future

Getty Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph has had an underwhelming training camp.

The Dallas Cowboys face some difficult decisions regarding roster cuts, with no position as highly contested as cornerback. Dallas’ acquisition of Stephon Gilmore this offseason has put pressure on young cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph and Nashon Wright to have an impressive training camp in order to earn a roster spot.

But Joseph has had an underwhelming training camp, aside from his ability to contribute on special teams, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf, who labeled Joseph among the players “trending down” as preseason action begins.

“The top of the cornerback depth chart is Diggs, Gilmore and Bland,” Machota and Yousuf wrote on August 11, 2023. “Next would be Lewis, Nahshon Wright and rookie Eric Scott. The Cowboys love what they’ve seen from Joseph, a 2021 second-round pick, as a special teams player, but he hasn’t done enough to stand out as a defensive back.”

Joseph was a highly touted prospect in the 2021 NFL draft after starring at Kentucky. The Cowboys selected him with the No. 44 overall selection in the second round, and the former Wildcats corner entered Big D with lofty expectations.

He has been unable to meet this expectations. He played in a combined 26 games over his first two seasons started only three of them.

Joseph earned a dismal 49.2 grade from Pro Football Focus last season, just one year removed from notching a respectable 71.2 score during his rookie season.

Dallas Cowboys Corner Kelvin Joseph Still Has 2 Seasons Remaining on a $7.7 Million Contract

Joseph still has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $7.7 million rookie contract. He is slated to have a $2.1 million cap hit this season, and the Cowboys would take a $1.5 million dead cap hit with Joseph’s release. Yet, Joseph’s future with the team remains uncertain for non-financial reasons.

Gilmore, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are all locks with veteran Jourdan Lewis also being a question mark. Joseph is fighting with Wright and rookie Eric Scott Jr. for one of the remaining cornerback roster spots.

Jerry Jones on Kelvin Joseph: ‘It’s Time for Him to Become a Man’

It is never a good sign when the owner calls out a player through the media. Yet, that is exactly what happened last December when owner Jerry Jones candidly said, “It’s time for him to become a man,” when discussing Joseph.

“It’s called ‘go time’ for Joseph,” Jones said during a December 9, 2022, interview with 105.3 The Fan’s “K&C Masterpiece.” “It’s time for him to become a man and that type [of] terminology. He’s gotta say, ‘It is time now.’ And that happens to young people and he should accept a higher level of responsibility.

“He’s got more people depending on him. He’s got his teammates depending upon him,” Jones said. “It’s time for some of the side stuff to ease its way out of his life, and it’s time to get down to business. He’s got a lot of people depending on him.

“That will make him better. It always does,” Jones said. “He’s capable of it, and we thought that when he was going through some of that initial hard times. He’s very talented. He can be a good player for us.”