The 2022 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Nakobe Dean 2022 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Linebacker
Size: 5-foot-11, 229 pounds
Class: Junior
2021 stats: 72 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 touchdown
Dean was the leader on a great Georgia defense that won a National Championship. Now he is headed to the NFL.
Out of high school, Dean was a five-star prospect who left his home state of Mississippi to play for Georgia. He saw the field a little bit as a freshman and had 25 total tackles. After getting his feet wet as a freshman, he played a huge role on their defense as a sophomore. He finished his sophomore season with 71 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Georgia went 8-2 and won the Peach Bowl following the 2020 season. Dean improved his play in 2021 totaling 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. His play helped Georgia win the National Championship.
Following a great season for Georgia, Dean declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dean is very athletic for a linebacker. He is quick and has solid agility. On top of that, he shows good pursuit speed and closing speed. His flexibility is also a plus for the linebacker position. He is able to be solid against the run and in coverage because he has the athleticism to do so.
He has shown to be a good run defender. Dean will get through traffic and can dodge blocks that are coming at him. He then shows off his pursuit speed to track down ball carriers. To finish plays, he can tackle well and his speed helps him lay some big hits.
His coverage is also good for the linebacker position. He can match up with tight ends and running backs in man-to-man coverage. Dean can mirror well in man to man. In zone coverage, he has solid eyes and can burst quickly to make plays on the ball. He can be a three-down linebacker in the NFL because of his coverage abilities.
Dean is undersized for a linebacker. He is just 5-foot-11 and 229 pounds, which falls well below the average size for a linebacker. His arms are also short, which limits his tackling range and his ability to make plays on the football when he is covering tight ends.
With his lack of size, he lacks strength. He can sometimes struggle to shed blocks because offensive linemen have a distinct size advantage against him. Dean will need add weight to his frame, but won’t want it to effect his athleticism or his ability to cover.
He usually has decently-disciplined eyes, but he can sometimes be fooled. He can misread play-action passes, RPOs and misdirections. Often times Dean goes after the first thing he sees, which helps him get a jump on most plays. He needs to diagnose plays quicker at the next level in order to not lose a step or two.
Projected Draft Range: First Round Pick
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