Eighty-three picks later, Georgia football linebacker Nakobe Dean is finally off the board. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him with the 83rd pick during the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Many injuries caused the best linebacker in this draft class to drop farther than anyone thought. However, the good news for the Eagles is that Dean is the steal of this draft. He will work harder than anyone else in this draft class to prove himself and show that these injuries aren’t going to limit him in the long run.
While George Pickens was a steal for the Steelers in the second round, that was for the receivers.
His teammate is the overall 2022 NFL Draft steal because Dean should have never dropped that low. Regardless of injuries, some team should have drafted him in the second round because there isn’t another linebacker in this draft who has Dean’s skills.
Finally, the 2021 Butkus Award winner is off the board and can prove to the 31 other NFL teams they made a huge mistake by not drafting him.
Georgia football finally sees Nakobe Dean picked up in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dean is a field general. He was one of the leaders for the 2021 Georgia football defense and is who put everyone in the right place. Dean has an incredibly high football IQ, and his instinct doesn’t compare.
He finished his career at Georgia with 168 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, including a pick-six against the Gators in 2021, 10 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.
He had the second-most tackles this past season with 72 — 36 solo and 36 assists. He recorded 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and had 28 quarterback pressures. There wasn’t much Dean didn’t make happen at Georgia, and he has the accolades to prove it.
Even with all those accolades, he is better than this draft pick suggests. Dean shouldn’t let him drop this far bother him. Instead, it should motivate him even more.
It’s such a shock to see him drafted this low in the draft because this “red flag” teams have issues with isn’t permanent. He will heal, and once Dean gets 100%, there will be no stopping him.
Dean has incredible horizontal speed, and his tackling abilities are top-notch. The way Azeez Ojulari, Roquan Smith, and the other linebackers have shined — Dean will do the same.
The best part about this pick is that Dean reunites with fellow Dawg Jordan Davis, who the Eagles drafted in the first round. Those two together are going to make the Eagles very happy.
Got my boy @NakobeDean with me! Delayed not denied bro 💯 let’s show Philly how we do it 😁 #FlyEaglesFly #GoBirds
— Jordan Davis “Parody Account” (@Swaggidavis) April 30, 2022
Dean played such a massive role for the Dawgs and is one of the reasons that defense was that elite. Without him leading the defense, they wouldn’t have been as good. Not to mention, he is even a better person off the field.
His charitable work shouldn’t go unnoticed because now he can do the same in Philadelphia. The community will embrace him, and the Eagles will be proud to have him on the team. Between him and Davis, it doesn’t get any better in terms of being high character men.
Georgia football has seen eight Dawgs drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft and has seven guys left to get selected. The Dawgs are one pick away from tying the school record for most draft picks in one year. While night two has seemed slow for the Dawgs, the momentum should pick up in the remainder of the third round and heading into Day 3.