Getty Josh Jobe, left, and Jordan Battle.
Former Alabama cornerback Josh Jobe went undrafted after his injury-plagued senior season with the Crimson Tide, but he played his way onto the Philadelphia Eagles after signing with the team as a free agent. Jobe survived the final rounds of cuts on August 30 and made the Eagles’ 53-man roster to start the season.
Howie Roseman, Philadelphia’s executive vice president and general manager, told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Josh Tolentino, “We knew him obviously from the Alabama connection. From Day 1 when he came in here, he came in with the right mindset. Roseman said they discovered Jobe while scouting his Tide teammates DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson ahead of the 2021 draft. Both were picked by the Eagles that year.
According to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Jobe could start the season on the injured reserve with an elbow injury. The Eagles said Jobe has missed practices with the elbow injury and has been wearing a brace.
Roseman Told the Inquirer Jobe Is a ‘Big, Long, Physical, Instinctive Corner’
Roseman told The Inquirer, “This is a big, long, physical, instinctive corner who’s played at a high level in the SEC. I’m watching [receivers] from this year’s draft, and I see Josh in man coverage on these guys. We felt very fortunate to get him after the draft.”
Jobe caught the eye of Heavy’s senior NFL reporter, Matt Lombardo, during a camp tour earlier this preseason. Lombardo tweeted, “Couple really nice plays by #Eagles safety Josh Jobe, including just now on a deep ball that WR Deon Cain had him beaten by a step and a half, but Jobe batted the Gardner Minshew away in the end zone.”
In the days before the final roster cut, Jobe told NBC Sports Philadelphia, “I feel like I’ve played pretty well, but I still have more stuff to work on to get better every day in practice. It’s similar to Bama. I had to compete with guys who came in. It wasn’t different. I just gotta do what I gotta do. Compete. That’s what it’s all about.”
Jobe Says His Experience at Alabama Helped Him Earn a Spot on the Eagles’ Roster
Josh Jobe made the 53. 😮💨
Jobe said his four seasons with the Crimson Tide working up Nick Saban’s depth chart helped him earn a roster spot with the Eagles. He told NJ.com on August 22, “It is similar to my time at Alabama. I had to compete with other guys when I came in. It has not been different. I just have to do what I have to do.”
He said the schemes and coverage were also familiar to him. He told the newspaper, “It is pretty similar to what I did at Alabama. The difference is with the terminology. I have to get used to the terminology, but I will be fine. … For a defensive back it is hard, so I have to keep taking reps in press, coverage, zone, or anything. But for the most part, I need to work on everything, not just one thing.”
Jobe’s Alabama and Eagles teammate Smith told NBC Sports Philadelphia, “Jobe’s a quiet guy. He goes out there and he works. He’s not going to talk much.” The Eagles open up their season on September 11 at the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m.