Two former Bulldogs get major confidence boost after Las Vegas Raiders debut

The Georgia Bulldogs had arguably the greatest defense in the history of college football during their 2021 National Championship run. With every starter of that defense now in the NFL for a few seasons, several former Bulldogs have found their homes in the NFL.

Several also found new homes over the past offseason. In that list includes linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, both of whom signed with the Las Vegas Raiders over the offseason. Both linebackers signed a three-year deal with the Raiders; Dean's worth $36 million and Walker's $40.5 million. Even though both players had shown promise at their former teams, many experts speculated whether the Raiders overpaid for the linebackers due to injury concerns.

However, both Bulldogs have seemingly proven their value after week one.

Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker have Terrific Debut Game with Raiders

In week one of the regular season the Las Vegas Raiders played host to the Miami Dolphins. In that game Dean and Walker tied with two other players for the most total tackles in the game. Walker was his typical self in this game, flying around the field and showing off the 4.52 40-yard dash speed that made him such a valuable prospect out of Georgia. Walker also had two solo tackles on the game. Walker also had a fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter that sealed the game for the Raiders.

What really stood out to most was Nakobe Dean's performance on Sunday. The former Butkus Award winner had arguably the best day of anybody on the team. Dean had five solo tackles as well as two tackles for loss and a sack. What made the sack so impressive was the fact Dean had to chase down one of the fastest quarterbacks in the league in Malik Willis to make it happen.

While it is just one game it is comforting to know that these two Georgia greats can put a lot of the negative noise to rest. In a testament to how good these two linebackers are, they both were top four in total tackles on a defense that averaged just over ten points per game in the modern era of college football.

Though every Georgia fan knew what Dean and Walker were capable of, some of that talent was not being as highly recognized by the rest of the league. As the season progresses, expect more highlight plays from these guys as they have become integral parts of this Raiders defense.

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