Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Draft Georgia Linebacker Nakobe Dean in Third Round

The Eagles finally drafted a linebacker, stopping the slide of one of the year's highest-touted LB prospects at the No. 83 overall pick.

Eagles add highly-touted linebacker in third round originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Eagles finally drafted a first-round linebacker. They just did it in Round 3.

After watching Georgia standout Nakobe Dean slip out of the first round, out of the second round and then deep into the third, the Eagles finally drafted the Bulldogs linebacker with pick No. 83 overall.

Dean, 21, had some medical issues — injuries to his pec and knee among them — entering this draft that were perhaps more serious than anyone outside the NFL knew. The Eagles have wiped players off their board for medical concerns before, but they clearly felt comfortable enough to make this move. Some reports indicate Dean could even be looking at a possible redshirt rookie season or at least might miss significant time.

But for Howie Roseman, the draft is all about value. And the value of landing Dean in the third round is undeniable.

Now we just have to see how legitimate those injury concerns were.

This is the highest the Eagles have drafted a linebacker since they took Mychal Kendricks in the second round back in 2012.

In Philadelphia, Dean will reunite with his Georgia teammate Jordan Davis. The two of them helped the Bulldogs win a national title in 2021 and were arguably the two biggest standouts on the best defense in the nation.

Back in February, Dean said he thinks he’s the best middle linebacker in this draft.

What separates him from the rest?

“I feel like my mindset,” Dean said at the combine. “I feel like my mindset and my mentality that goes into things separates me from everybody else.”

Dean (5-11, 229) has a slight frame but is incredibly accomplished as the leader and captain of the best defense in college football. Dean was a consensus All-American and Butkus Award winner in 2021. He had 72 tackles, 10 1/2 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 2 interceptions during his final college season. In 2020, he had 71 tackles to lead the Bulldogs in his first year as a starter.

Dean’s size can be viewed as a negative but it didn’t hold him back from flying around the field in college. Maybe Devin Lloyd projects as the best linebacker prospect but it’s hard to watch Dean in 2021 and think that.

Here’s what NFL.com’ s Lance Zierlein wrote about Dean:

“Explosive, three-down linebacker with the demeanor and quickness to become a volume tackler while holding down third-down duties at a high level. Dean's play recognition is a work in progress, which limits reaction time and forces him to deal with more blockers than he'll see as he gains more experience. Quick feet and plus agility will bring him to ball-carriers at a high rate but a lack of size and length means he'll need to fine-tune his approach as a tackler to make sure he finishes what he starts. He might lack measurables, but he has the toughness and technique to see a boost in his performance once his play becomes more proactive.”

Since 2010, when Roseman became general manager, the Eagles had selected a total of nine linebackers and just two of them were Day 2 picks: Kendricks in 2012 and Davion Taylor late in the third round of the 2020 draft.

Dean will join a linebacker room that already includes T.J. Edwards, who is coming off a career year, and free agent pickup Kyzir White. They also have Taylor and Shaun Bradley coming back as top backups. The Eagles are listing Haason Reddick as a linebacker but he’s expected to fill the SAM position as a pass rusher.

The Eagles had an eventful day on Thursday, trading up to pick No. 13 to draft Davis. Then they used the No. 18 pick in a trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown. They began Day 2 with center Cam Jurgens in the second round at No. 51 before picking Dean at 83.

The Eagles have two picks on Day 3 Saturday: No. 154 in the fifth round and No. 237 in the seventh

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