Georgia football has some of the best linebackers in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the Dawgs also have the top one in Nakobe Dean.
Despite not working out at the NFL Combine and not having a great Georgia Pro Day performance, the Butkus Award winner should still be a first-round draft pick. The film doesn’t lie, and what Dean has done in his short time at Georgia shouldn’t get overlooked.
If he drops to the second round of the NFL Draft, there will be so many teams that will regret their decision to skip on him.
Georgia football linebacker Nakobe Dean is the best in this draft but is getting overlooked.
Dean has all the qualities a team could want in an NFL linebacker, but it seems his size is one of the things that is holding him back. His speed and athleticism should get overlooked, but they are because some experts think he is too short.
Maybe it was his lack of production since the national championship game, but watching his film should give these scouts more than enough. Plus his people skills, his off-the-field stuff is off the chart.
Dean’s charitable acts and the way he carries himself are marketable. He is a walking definition of what teams want out of their players when they leave the facilities.
At Georgia, Dean played in 39 games throughout three seasons. He recorded 168 total tackles, with 50% being solo ones. Dean also tallied 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, with one of them being resulting in a touchdown, 10 pass deflections, three forced fumbles and 45 quarterback hurries.
After his junior season, he won the Butkus Award, which he won the high school version as well. Not to mention eight different publications put Dean on their first-team All-America team.
Draft Thoughts: Every year there’s a prospect that you have to “trust the tape” with. #UGA LB Nakobe Dean is that guy this year for me.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) April 25, 2022
Undersized, but an infectious leader, all-out effort, and physical. So many hidden plays on his tape such as this #LB1pic.twitter.com/D8obwAZD56
Most recently, he is the Vince Dooley Athlete of the Year, and we cannot forget about him being the 2021 AFCA Goodworks team captain.
There is so much more to Dean than just football, and while those aren’t as important as what he can do on the field, they still hold weight.
However, his on-field talent is still incredible regardless of size. Nothing is holding Dean back outside people assuming these things about him.
The pass deflection numbers are something to note. He has 10 of them, which shows his vision on the field and how quickly he can make a play happen. Plus, it shows he can drop back in coverage if needed.
Dean has excellent tackling abilities, and his horizontal speed is mind-blowing. While his fellow linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall got recognized for their speed, Dean is just as fast.
If anyone tells you that Dean isn’t the best linebacker in the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s evident they haven’t watched his film. The way he fights and leads the defense is impressive and something NFL teams need.
Dean is a future pro bowler. He has a high ceiling, and his physical size doesn’t restrict him anyway. If he drops out of the first round, he will make all of those teams regret it.