The Washington Commanders went into training camp with bigger names attached to their defensive overhaul, but one of the loudest early stories has been a fifth-round rookie who wasn’t supposed to be stealing this much attention in August.
Joshua Josephs, taken 147th overall out of Tennessee, has become a steady presence in camp as Washington tries to rebuild its pass rush. The team’s headline additions were Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, plus first-round linebacker Sonny Styles.
Josephs was the quieter pick. He is not staying quiet now.
That momentum has only become more relevant with left tackle Laremy Tunsil facing surgery on a torn triceps and an extended absence from the offense, according to ESPN. Washington’s defense, which was overhauled this offseason, is suddenly under even more pressure to carry its weight. Josephs has done his part to make the front look deeper than expected.
He came into camp with a motto borrowed from Appalachian State quarterback Malachi Singleton: S2P, or “something to prove.” He explained the idea to Bryan Colbert Jr. on the Commanders’ “Raising Hail with the Rookies” series.
“It’s just [about] always having that mindset no matter what,” Josephs said. “No matter what feat you accomplish, you’ve always got something to prove. You’ve always gotta be hungry.”
The on-field production has matched the mindset. Zach Selby of the Commanders’ official site posted on X: “Joshua Josephs is having an impressive day so far. He had a batted pass earlier in team drills and showed off his speed against Wylie in 1-on-1s” - https://x.com/ZachSelbyWC
That was not an isolated flash. Camp reports have continued to point to Josephs, including a sack he forced on backup quarterback Marcus Mariota during a padded practice earlier this month.
Part of the intrigue is physical. Josephs’ wingspan is close to seven feet, a striking number for an edge rusher his size, and draft evaluators had already noticed it before Washington selected him. A Commanders draft-focused post on X from Mitchell Tischler noted that Josephs’ wingspan is enormous for a player who lined up as a 3-4 edge and worked both stand-up and hand-in-the-dirt looks at Tennessee.
Josephs is still getting comfortable in defensive coordinator Daronte Jones’ scheme, and he has been open about that process. Denton Day of the Commanders’ radio coverage captured that learning curve on X. Josephs, though, is also clear about what he believes he brings.
“They know I’m an athlete,” Josephs said. “I have the ability to cover.
I was doing it in college. And I was doing it in high school.
I’ve been doing this thing my whole life. I’ve been able to cover in space.
They also know about my pass rushing ability and my pass rushing bag, and I feel like I’ve got a good bag. I feel like I gotta show I’m a dominant pass rusher and I’m able to cover in space.”
He also described the challenge of mastering the defense.
“Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s a little challenging,” Josephs said. “I just gotta stay in my playbook.
Really, it’s a blessing - all the packages that I’m in, and everything that Coach DJ is doing. I believe he knows what he’s doing.
I believe our defense is going to be really lethal this season.”
The bigger picture still matters here. Washington’s defense finished near the bottom of the league defensively in 2025, and August flashes only mean so much unless they carry into the season. Safety Nick Cross, who joined Washington this offseason after four years with the Colts, has stressed the importance of communication as the group learns Jones’ system, according to WJLA.
“You got to have your eyes right,” Cross said. “Reading your keys, communication’s on point.
You’ve got a lot of talented playmakers on offense. At the end of the day, it’s crucial that we go out there and we’re on our details, on our keys, make sure your eyes are in the right spot.”
That’s especially important against an offense that uses motion and disguised personnel to create confusion, something Cross said the defense is seeing every day in practice against Washington’s own starters.
For now, Josephs is one more reason the Commanders’ pass rush looks more interesting than it did in April. Oweh and Chaisson were the major investments.
Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste are still in the mix, and nothing is settled yet. But if Josephs keeps flashing through the rest of camp and into preseason games, Washington may have found a rotational edge rusher nobody was talking about when the offseason began.
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