Joshua Farmer Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(James Gilbert/Getty Images)
School: Florida State
Class: Redshirt Junior
Position: DT
HT: 6’3
WT: 305 lbs
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Background: Joshua Farmer was a consensus 3-star defensive tackle out of Port St. Joe, Florida. He just snuck into the top 100 players in Florida for the class of 2021. Farmer played for Gadsden County High School, helping lead the team to a state semifinal as a senior in 2020. As a junior, Farmer earned First Team All-Big Bend. Farmer chose to play for Florida State over Tennessee, FIU, and others.
College: Joshua did not make a significant impact on the Seminoles’ defense until 2022, a year in which he appeared in all 13 games. He tallied 6 TFLs and 2 sacks on his way to being named an honorable mention Freshman All-American. In 2023, Farmer recorded 7 TFLs and 5 sacks. He was named Second Team All-ACC and was a member of the Academic All-ACC team. He earned honorable mention All-ACC in 2024 after recording 8 TFLs and 4 sacks.
Strengths: Joshua Farmer provides elite length with 35 inch arms on the interior of the defensive line. He uses his length functionally by long arming the shorter interior offensive linemen, preventing them from getting their grip into his pads. Not only is Farmer long, but he has a dense build that makes it hard for opponents to move him. He packs an explosive punch with his get off that knocks offensive linemen on their heels. Farmer uses his elite frame to collect blocks and keep his linebackers clean, giving them the opportunity to make plays. His length is also shown as a pass rusher, where he has a nice swim move to work through linemen efficiently. Farmer is effective in pursuit in close quarters, where he moves well for his size. He does well to react to the ball carrier’s movements. He plays low enough to maintain leverage throughout the snap.
Weaknesses: Joshua Farmer does not have the athleticism to move around the line. He was put on the edge at times at Florida State, but he was ineffective. He does not have the get off to set the edge with speed or a quick first step. He also does not have the bend to get around the edge and cut inside to the backfield. Despite his size, Farmer is stalled by double teams. He does not have the athleticism or force to maneuver these double teams.
Conclusion: Joshua Farmer can be a nice run defender up the middle due to his length. His skillset and size scream 1 tech but a majority of his reps were taken at 3 tech. That position change could be coming in the near future.
Scheme Fit: Odd Man Front
Ideal Role: 1 tech
Best Team Fits: LAC, CIN, ARI
Player Comparison: Da’Shawn Hand
Player Grade: Round 3 (72.2)
