Nakobe Dean LB Georgia: Scouting Report

Height: 6’0’’

Weight: 225

Overall

Nakobe Dean is the middle linebacker in Georgia’s dominant 4-3 defense. In his 3 college seasons, he played in 39 games, starting 25 of them. He is an incredible athlete and was the leader of Georgia’s championship defense this past season.

Pass Game

Dean has excellent speed, acceleration, and change of direction to matchup one on one with running backs and some receivers. He has very good coverage ability and makes great breaks on the ball with the ball skills to create turnovers. His lack of size may make it difficult for him to cover bigger, stronger tight ends at the next level, but I believe he is talented enough to do so. He has the athleticism and fluidity to play man coverage as well as the speed to cover a lot of ground in zone coverage. He was also very productive on blitzes. He had the luxury of playing with an incredible defensive line in front of him, but he was still able to get off blocks and use his speed and bend to get around linemen and get to the quarterback. He has the talent to be used as an edge rusher as well.

Run Game

In the run game, Dean has excellent speed and acceleration to chase down the running back and quickly secure the tackle. He has very good instincts and when he diagnoses the play he uses his burst and tackling ability to make big plays all over the field. He has true sideline to sideline speed. When in contact with linemen he has the power and hand strength to get off blocks and fill gaps. He will occasionally miss tackles in the open field so he will need to improve his ability to shuffle his feet when he is closer to the running back.

Last Word

Nakobe Dean projects best as a Mike linebacker in the NFL. He has the athleticism, football IQ, and leadership to be an immediate starter in the middle of the field. With his coverage skills and ability to rush the passer he will excel on 3rd downs. His speed and power will make him and excellent special teams option as well.

One-Liner: Even with his lack of size, Nakobe Dean has the athleticism, instincts, and football IQ to be a dominant defender early on in his career.

Grade: 7.1 (High End 3 Down Starter)

Games Watched: 2021 – Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Arkansas

Team Fits: Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons