LOOK: Former Georgia star Nakobe Dean inks NFL contract with Philadelphia Eagles

Nakobe Dean is all smiles. The former Georgia linebacker has officially signed his rookie contract with the Eagles, and the franchise took to Twitter to share a photo of Dean cheesin’ during the monumental moment.

Eagles have signed LB Nakobe Dean.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/uARHPKOiJ8

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 16, 2022

“Eagles have signed LB Nakobe Dean,” tweeted Philadelphia.

According to Eagles Wire of USA TODAY Sports, Dean signed a four-year deal worth $5,186,894, and the former Georgia star will count $943K against the cap for the Eagles this coming season.

Moreover, Dean slid in the 2022 NFL Draft, going from a sure-fire first round selection to the No. 83 overall pick in the third round. Injury and size concerns reportedly led to multiple franchises taking the former Georgia linebacker off their board completely, but the Eagles decided to welcome Dean to the NFL.

Now, the mission for Nakobe Dean becomes proving Philadelphia right, and every NFL team that didn’t draft him wrong. If his time at Georgia is any indication, it’s impossible to bet against him.

More on Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are banking on Georgia product Nakobe Dean 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 2022 NFL Draft, 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 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.