Eagles linebacker Kyzir White goes to bat for rookie Nakobe Dean

Watching Kyzir White attack every practice rep like it’s a live-action sequence in the fourth quarter of a divisional game is enough to make someone check the calendar to see how many days separate us from the beginning of the regular season. Seeing him pick Zach Wilson off in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ first preseason game forces a smile across one’s face because you know all of the hard work is paying off.

Perhaps the best part about White’s night, one that doubled as our first opportunity to see him compete in an Eagles jersey was this. Despite making the biggest play of the night on defense, he still wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to score!

White is expected to be one of the leaders in Jonathan Gannon’s defense. You can rest easy there, and with T.J. Edwards and Haason Reddick as teammates and with Nakobe Dean waiting in the wings, this linebacker corps figures to make some plays this season.

Kyzir White is a fan of Eagles rookie linebacker Nakobe Dean (and you should be as well).

The buzz that came from landing Nakobe Dean, a young man who was seen as a potential first-round draft selection, in Round 3 has calmed some. The learning curve has been steep, and even though it’s obvious that there’s a very high ceiling, the former Georgia Bulldog is experiencing some rookie blues despite being as driven as he’s ever been.

We imagine the chip on his shoulder is still growing, but he hasn’t dominated during training camp. Kyzir White isn’t worried as he stated while hanging out with the Philly media recently.

"Nakobe’s like another coach as well. You can tell he loves football. He’s (really) mature. I think he’s going to have a great year as well… I think he handles everything pretty well, especially coming from the program he just left. He knows the expectations for him, and he knows what it takes, so I feel like he’s good."

It’s hard to believe now that, when White was signed, some criticized the decision. He’s been lights out. Every time we see him step in front of a microphone, it’s hard to believe that people don’t request to interview him more often. We’re really starting to like this guy.

He’s also taught us something. Maybe fans are being a little hard on Nakobe Dean? After all, he isn’t needed to step in and dominate instantly.

We acknowledge the fact that there are growing pains and learning curves for quarterbacks and other positions. Some forget that the same is true for guys who play at the second level of the defense. Nakobe has admitted that, while at UGA, it took some time to master the Dawgs’ playbook, that he had to “fake it until he made it”. Looking back, things turned out pretty well.

Be patient. Dean will be fine, and he’s got some great teammates to learn from, teammates that have his back and won’t let him fail. Throw Kyzir’s name in that discussion.

Again, we really like this guy! He’s one of several Birds that grew up as Eagles fans or are from the area. White attended Emmaus high school which is about 65 miles from Philadelphia, he bought over 50 tickets for friends and family as a member of the Chargers when L.A. visited Lincoln Financial Field a year ago. He’s already trying to figure out how to accommodate loved ones this season.

That’s been his only issue in adjusting as he loves the Birds and wants to be here. His teammates feel the same way. This is a tight-knit group.

What they’re able to accomplish has yet to be determined, but even if they don’t reach football’s biggest game, the vibe they’re giving us feels like the one we had in 2017. The love fest is underway. Hopefully, the wins come in accompaniment.