Mel Kiper: Why Nakobe Dean is perfect fit for Las Vegas Raiders

It’s a new era for the Las Vegas Raiders, with Josh McDaniels being hired as the head coach after serving as the New England Patriots offensive coordinator. He will be inheriting a team that made the playoffs last season but still have a few holes to patch up across the roster.

Having one selection in the first round this season, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. actually believes the Raiders will go away from McDaniels’ specialty and pick a defensive player. He thinks Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean is the right selection and explained why the two are a perfect fit in his latest mock draft on Tuesday.

“The Raiders have a new regime under coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, and they have a clear void in the middle of their defense,” Kiper said. “If Dean is still available at No. 22, this is a no-brainer. His coaches at Georgia rave about his leadership skills and he’s a dominant off-ball linebacker on the field, too. He stuffed the stat sheet with 72 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles and two picks last season.

“Cornerback and wide receiver are two other positions I considered for Las Vegas, which also has questions surrounding the future of quarterback Derek Carr, whose contract is up after the 2022 season.”

Nakobe Dean was one of the best defensive players in the nation and helped Georgia secure their first national championship since 1980. He racked up 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, and six sacks while adding two touchdowns, two forced fumbles, and five passes defended. Winning the Dick Butkus Award, Dean was named the best linebacker in the country.

Todd McShay discusses Nakobe Dean

Kiper is not the only ESPN draft analyst who believes in Dean. Recently, Todd McShay talked about the Georgia linebacker and why people should not be worried about his physical traits or combine numbers. He said Dean had one of the best college seasons as a linebacker he has seen since Luke Kuechly.

“I love Nakobe Dean,” McShay said when recapping his mock draft 2.0. “And then I know that he’s not going to work out well, and everyone’s going to tell me what he can’t do in terms of his length and his size and he’s not going to run an elite 40 time. That’s fine. But I’m just going to trust the tape this past year. That was one of the best linebacking years I’ve seen in a long time, maybe since Luke Kuechly. I mean, that’s how special it was in terms of what he put on tape.”