Nakobe Dean NFL Draft Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 5′-11″
Weight: 229 pounds
School: Georgia
Nakobe Dean 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After spending his college years at Georgia, linebacker Nakobe Dean decided to skip his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. It’s hard to blame him for this decision, as Dean is coming off a fantastic season. Playing in 15 games, Dean finished the year with 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, and two interceptions.
Dean originally joined the college football world as a five-star recruit out of Mississippi. Signing with Georgia, the linebacker found a way to make an impact as a true freshman. Appearing in 11 games, Dean finished the year with 25 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. In 2020, Dean earned a starting job and recorded 71 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Strengths
- Intelligent football player with remarkable instincts;
- Aggressive playstyle with a fearless mentality;
- Blows past blockers with variety of moves;
- Too quick for slower interior linemen on blitzes;
- Has speed and quickness required to cover running backs;
- Tracks down the ball carrier incredibly well with near-perfect angles.
Weaknesses
- Notably undersized for the position with below-average height, weight, and arms;
- Unclear how he’ll do against the run – Georgia’s dominant defensive line did all the work there;
- Tight ends will easily outmuscle him in coverage;
- Might struggle to take down bigger backs in the second level;
- Sometimes overly aggressive and bites on misdirection.
NFL Comparison: Eric Kendricks
Teams With Need at Position: Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Rounds 1-2
Bottom Line on Nakobe Dean
Nakobe Dean is a highly-polished prospect that should be able to start from Day 1. His intelligence jumps off the screen, as he’s able to identify opposing play schemes and diagnose plays on a consistent basis. He had the ferocious mindset needed to excel at the linebacker position, and his speed and shiftiness allows him to get through the offensive line and take down whoever has the ball in the backfield.
Unfortunately, the biggest issues with Dean are the things that cannot be fixed with coaching. At 5′-11″ and 229 pounds, Dean is notably undersized for the position. That wasn’t a major issue at Georgia, but it could be one in the NFL. The jump in level of competition is enormous, and there’s no real way to tell if Dean can handle that leap until he’s actually done it.
Additionally, it’s basically impossible to evaluate him as a run defender thanks to Georgia’s defensive line. That line was easily the most talented in college football and blew up opposing offensive lines on basically every snap. This allowed Dean to essentially play linebacker on rookie mode, as the pocket was constantly being collapsed. The NFL is going to have bigger running backs charging with a full head of steam, and only time will tell if Dean has the size and strength to consistently stop those guys at the line of scrimmage.
Dean’s size might keep him from ever developing into an elite linebacker, but his smarts, speed, and abilities in open space ensure that he’ll be a solid starter, if nothing else. Nobody will ever confuse him with Bobby Wagner, but in a best-case scenario, he’ll overcome his build issues and turn into a good starter for the next decade.
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