Eagles rookie Nakobe Dean slams the door shut on injury questions

So, in the end, the Philadelphia Eagles and their new linebacker Nakobe Dean were right and 31 other NFL teams were wrong. We’ve discussed this story somewhere around 20 or more times, but just in case you’ve been living under some midnight green rocks, here’s a quick synopsis.

The Birds pulled off a major three-day coup during the most recent NFL Draft, landing Jordan Davis and pulling off a trade to acquire A.J. Brown in Round 1 before taking what some believe to be the 2022 class’s best prospect at the center position, Cam Jurgens, during Round 2.

There’s no need to adjust anything. You read that correctly. Despite what you may have seen, there are some draft pundits that actually gave Jurgens higher marks than they gave to Tyler Linderbaum, now with the Baltimore Ravens.

Time will tell, but we hope they’re right! They say the draft actually begins in Round 2. The third round was mighty kind to Philly as well.

Nakobe Dean seems to be passing every test with flying colors so far.

Every year, the NFL brings prospects that they believe will be among the first-round draftees to the selection meeting. Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean were among the invitees. Davis was taken 13th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. Dean would have to wait… and wait… and wait… and wait…

Former NFL star Chuck Smith joined Boston sports radio’s Dukes and Bell Show to recap the draft, and he believes no one should view Dean dropping as a surprise.

"I expected him to drop. Number one, he never ran… Too many of the measurables were against him.. But, you go out on Pro Day and do things. When you got those measurables, if you’re small, you better be fast, Deion Jones isn’t the biggest dude, but he is lightning fast. So, if (NFL teams are going to) invest a first-round pick in you, you (can’t decide against running) at the Senior Bowl then (refuse to) run at home. To me, the injuries compounded that… I think the mistakes for Nakobe Dean were him and whoever his representation (was).  They let themselves down by not running a 40-yard dash."

In addition to all of that, another story broke, one involving a workout injury that Dean decided he’d eschewed surgery for. The draft began, picks were announced, and Nakobe Dean, a projected first-rounder, slid to Round 3. All of that’s behind us now. He’s an Eagle.

He promised he’d be ready for the start of rookie minicamp and a full participant shortly after the announcement of his selection. Eagles executive vice president/general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed that by stating they believed the same thing. Rookie minicamp came and went, and Dean kept his promise.

There are no issues to report. The most recent draft’s 83rd-overall selection is right on schedule. One hurdle has been conquered.

There isn’t much we can do about the other, his size. You can’t coach him into being taller.

He’s still right on the line separating five-foot-eleven and being six-foot even. He’s also 229 pounds which means he’s physically smaller than A.J. Brown. The long and short of everything is this though.

Landing a player like this is a major bargain. As a matter of fact, it’s a steal. So far, so good though. Nakobe Dean has answered a major question as we approach the next phase of the offseason itinerary. Many of the others will be answered during the remainder of the spring and summer. For now, you can rest easy when you lie down at bedtime tonight. Again, everything appears to be on schedule.