3 Reasons Eagles should be slightly hesitant about drafting Nakobe Dean

Eagles fans might be overreacting slightly to the highlight reel.

While Dean led the Dawgs in TFLs (tackles that resulted in a loss of yardage) in 2021 with 10.5, one can make the argument that he was a little consistent. That isn’t the first time we’ve heard that either. Here’s some of what Walter Football said in their ranking of the best outside linebacker prospects.

"Playing off a phenomenal defensive line, Dean made some big plays for the Georgia defense, but he was inconsistent on a down-by-down basis, which his tackle total reflects. The media has given Dean a lot of hype, but multiple NFL team sources have not been as enthused with his tape, with some grading him on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft. There are others, however, who have Dean graded higher."

While it’s true that football is a team game and Dean shouldn’t be asked to apologize for playing on a phenomenal defense with great teammates, having guys like Jordan Davis and Travon Walker in front of him does help, and even with that being the case, Dean only managed 36 solo tackles in 15 games this year. Some of this class’s best cornerbacks had more.

Sure, when Dean plays downhill and gets on a roll, he can be fun to watch. There are a few things to be wary of though. Dean can play out of control at times, which leads to missed tackles. There’s also an inability on Dean’s part to shed blocks sometimes.

The Draft Network’s Drae Harris offers high praise, as he should, but also states the following as some fair criticism in his draft profile of Dean.

"He doesn’t have true versatility. He is an even-front payer only who is best served playing covered up."

The linemen will be bigger and better at diagnosing what Dean wants to do at the professional level, and standing at six-foot while tipping the scales at 225 pounds, there has to be some concern that offensive coordinators can neutralize Dean’s attacking style with some relative ease.

You never know. It’s March, and obviously, Dean will get better, but these are points that are worth discussing.