4 Intriguing storylines surrounding Philadelphia Eagles rookie Nakobe Dean
3. Everyone keeps discussing how intelligent Nakobe Dean is and for good reason.
Any discussion involving Nakobe Dean always brings us back to familiar territory, conversations about how intelligent he is.
After stacking a 3.55 GPA at the collegiate level, Dean admitted to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports that he had to “fake it until he made it”, parlaying his mastery of one coverage scheme into 14 in-game appearances as a freshman.
Years later, the learning curve is even steeper as he’s spent most of his time digesting the intricacies of a complex Eagles scheme. He’s taken reps with the starting unit. His coaches haven’t hesitated to put a ton on his plate. His position coach, Nick Rallis, is satisfied with what he’s seen so far.
#Eagles LB coach Nick Rallis on Nakobe Dean pic.twitter.com/8S0mLAaheI
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) August 1, 2022
Be patient. It shouldn’t take long for the former Bulldog to get up to speed.
4. Pro Football Focus names Nakobe Dean as someone Eagles and NFL fans should keep tabs on.
So, here we are. The rookie has his supporters and doubters. That’s nothing new. Dean has had to prove people wrong before, and the competitive fire hasn’t gone anywhere.
Don’t you think for a second that he hasn’t forgotten that he was overlooked for much longer than he should have been during the most recent NFL Draft. He most certainly has a chip on his shoulder.
Can he meet the expectations? Pro Football Focus thinks so, and whether you love them or not, you have to admit that they always keep things interesting. Michael Renner named Dean as someone to watch in his take on “one rookie to watch on every NFL team during the 2022 preseason”. Here’s part of what he said in his reason for making that statement.
"The linebacker position in Philadelphia has been much maligned for years now. While T.J. Edwards has emerged as a quality starter, the other linebacker spot is very much up for grabs. Dean fell due to injury and not performance, meaning he should be able to take control of that job if training camp and the preseason go as expected."
Okay, that isn’t totally true. Sure, T.J. Edwards has been lights out during training camp, but Kyzir White is also a game-wrecker. The Birds are loaded, but Renner is correct in saying that eyes will be on Nakobe Dean throughout the preseason. He’s going to be fun to watch.