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Karl Joseph Impactful Chess Piece in Raiders Defensive Scheme

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Raiders safety Karl Joseph notched his first career forced fumble in Week 2's blowout victory over the New York Jets. It came on his first sack, where he bent around a tackle into the pocket and devoured his pray.

Joseph recovered the ball, and the Raiders quickly scored a touchdown. The second-year pro enjoyed that moment, but left the game with regrets.

"I should have definitely had more sacks than I did," Joseph said. "I feel like I should have had three."

Joseph had quarterback Josh McCown in the crosshairs three times, and feels like he should've finished each one. The game plan provided opportunity. Joseph blitzed six times – fellow safety Reggie Nelson attacked thrice – and pressured the quarterback four times.

It was a relatively new responsibility, considering he blitzed nine times all last year. Joseph will be first to say he was a different player then. He was less explosive, more tentative and a smidge less confident, lingering effects from an ACL tear during his final college season. Joseph was cleared to play as a rookie but wasn't all the way back, doubly hampered by missing an offseason program where rookies grow quick.

"I wasn't completely myself," Joseph said in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. "I feel a lot more like myself this year. I obviously feel better physically, and the year of experience in the system has definitely helped. So has adjusting to the NFL life. That's been an easier transition for me."

Joseph is playing more like his highlight reel from West Virginia, where he proved a heavy hitter and a solid cover man worthy of last year's No. 14 overall draft pick. The Jets game isn't the only evidence of that.

Joseph had an excellent training camp, flashing an aggressive style and solid timing making plays in practice. That translated to the regular-season opener at Tennessee, when he saved a touchdown on consecutive plays. The first came on an open-field tackle. The second was a leaping pass breakup in the end zone, proof positive that Joseph was ready to make a big impact.

"He's really good close to the line of scrimmage," defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said. "He's a really good tackler in the open field. He also plays well on the back end. I think his development is right on time right now."

The Raiders recognize that, and are using him like a queen on the chessboard. He can move back or forward, as an attacker or the last line of defense. He's a rover at times, with an ability to create havoc at all levels of the defense.

Joseph is an excellent fit for the defensive scheme, bring a tone-setting physicality to the secondary. He is learning, as part of his development, that the nuclear option isn't always best. There are times when it is, and Joseph enters those scenarios without fear.

"You can't play worried about getting hurt. That's not the way I play," Joseph said. "It's about being smart. I had to adjust my game coming into the NFL. Every hit can't be a big hit. Sometimes you have to be smart and just wrap people up, but you can't ever play scared."

He isn't afraid to take risks or attack when asked, and is already making a major impact on this year's defense. That isn't a surprise. It's expected of first-round picks.

"That's what he's supposed to do. He's supposed to make plays," head coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's a guy we selected because we thought he'd be a guy that could come in and impact on our defense. In the first two games of this year he's played well. There are still things, like I tell you all the time, that have cleaning up to do, work to do, things to improve on, but he's off to a good start and obviously it follows up from a good offseason. Healthy, a lot of good work and confidence that he's gaining as we go."

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