Nakobe Dean reveals how Kirby Smart, Georgia prepared him for NFL success

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean is yet another success story for head coach Kirby Smart, whether he is taken in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday or not. The Horn Lake, Miss., native worked his way up the Bulldogs’ defense after signing and enrolling early in 2019 and became the nation’s best linebacker in 2021.

Ahead of the draft, Dean joined ESPN’s First Take and discussed how his time at Georgia with Kirby Smart prepared him for the next step.

“I remember being a freshman, it was spring, I was tired,” Dean recounted. “He came to me and said, ‘I know you’re tired, you’re staying up all night doing homework?’ I said, ‘Yes, coach.’ He was like, ‘I don’t care.'”

Smart responded while laughing, insisting that he wanted to help Dean maintain the 4.0 he came in with from high school. The star linebacker went on to win the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award, among other accolades.

“Little lessons like that just taught me that the behind-the-scenes stuff doesn’t matter, it’s all about what you can put out and show people,” Dean said.

“We do a little bit of everything at Georgia,” he added. “It was a business approach every single day. This don’t prepare me not only on the field, but off the field in life. Everything, all the connections, the people you meet, he’s helped me in life.”

Dean finished second for Bulldogs in tackles with 72 as he led the team’s National Championship-winning, No. 1-ranked defense. He recorded a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss including 6.0 sacks along with six pass breakups, and 31 quarterback pressures. He also had two interceptions, one of which he took to the house for a touchdown against Florida.

Nakobe Dean projects as late-first, early-second round pick

After the season, Dean earned a first-team all-American nod from the Associated Press, Walter Camp, the America Football Coaches Association, Sporting News, USA Today and ESPN among others. He also won the 2021 Butkus Award.

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With hours to go until the draft, the Georgia star isn’t on Mel Kiper’s final first-round mock. However, NFL GMs have been telling reporters that they’re expecting the wildest draft in some years, which means anything could happen. Despite the mock drafts, Dean is still the No. 8 overall prospect on ESPN’s final top-100 rankings.

NFL.com prospect analyst Lance Zierlein broke down Nakobe Dean’s skillset ahead of the draft.

“Explosive, three-down linebacker with the demeanor and quickness to become a volume tackler while holding down third-down duties at a high level,” Zierlein wrote. “Dean’s play recognition is a work in progress, which limits reaction time and forces him to deal with more blockers than he’ll see as he gains more experience. Quick feet and plus agility will bring him to ball-carriers at a high rate but a lack of size and length means he’ll need to fine-tune his approach as a tackler to make sure he finishes what he starts. He might lack measurables, but he has the toughness and technique to see a boost in his performance once his play becomes more proactive.”