Eagles general manager details Nakobe Dean health, timetable for return

Nakobe Dean was one of the best linebackers in all of college football the past few seasons, but his draft stock plummeted all the way into the third round (No. 83 overall selection) of the 2022 NFL Draft due to medical concerns surrounding an injury to his pectoral muscle.

The Philadelphia Eagles decided to draft him in the third round and make him their linebacker of the future. According to the franchise’s general manager Howie Roseman, the freakishly talented linebacker will be ready for the beginning of the franchise’s rookie minicamp. “People had concerns, but Nakobe Dean is going to be on the field for rookie mini camp,” Roseman told NFL Network’s James Palmer on late Friday evening.

The Philadelphia Eagles are banking on the Georgia product to come in and transform their linebacking corps. He did it with style throughout his time in Athens, and the former Bulldogs linebacker will be expected to do the same in his NFL career. That’s why — after a long wait — the Eagles took him off the board early in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday night, picking him No. 83 overall in the third round.

In his four seasons with the Bulldogs, Dean elevated his game consistently, leading an exceptional Georgia defense as one of the top linebackers in the entire nation. Last season, Dean realized his dream of bringing a championship to Georgia, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, the star linebacker was the recipient of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the top linebackers in college football.

Most importantly to the Eagles, Dean has the potential to become one of the top linebackers in the entire NFL. He was dominant at Georgia, showing fantastic traits in both his playing style, football intelligence and leadership ability.

A former five-star recruit in the class of 2019, Dean was the No. 4 linebacker in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The former Georgia star played his high school football at Horn Lake in Horn Lake, Mississippi, where he was rewarded with the Gatorade State High School Football Player Award his senior season. Dean’s been a star at every level of his football career, and there’s no reason to think that will change in the NFL.

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Nakobe Dean

Furthermore, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com broke down what Nakobe Dean can bring to the NFL in his recent scout of the linebacker’s draft profile. The analyst compared the Georgia product to Devin Bush, a former first round defensive lineman out of Michigan who’s been a force since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him tenth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, providing the franchise with exceptional linebacker play.

“Explosive, three-down linebacker with the demeanor and quickness to become a volume tackler while holding down third-down duties at a high level,” wrote Zierlein. “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.”

On3’s Stephen Samra also contributed to this article.