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2016 NFL Draft Round 1: At Pick 14, Oakland Raiders select WVU safety Karl Joseph

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The Raiders have decided to use their first round pick on West Virginia safety Karl Joseph.

In the middle of a crazy and exhilarating first round, the Oakland Raiders ultimately had Karl Joseph fall right into their laps at Pick #14. There were some players others had rated more highly but Joseph was the guy the Raiders felt they needed for their revamped secondary.

With Shaq Lawson and Myles Jack still on the board, the Raiders felt they had to jump on Joseph, who was a guy many teams were starting to like in the first round. He is known as a tough player and a very hard hitter who can be the leader and the heart and soul of a defense a la Brian Dawkins.

Joseph was a standout at West Virginia until an ACL tear in 2015 but when he was on the field he had some of the most impressive tape you will see from a safety. He finished his career at West Virginia with 274 tackles, two sacks and nine interceptions. Even though the Raiders signed Reggie Nelson a few weeks ago, Joseph will see lots of playing time in the Raider secondary this season alongside Nelson and Nate Allen.

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