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Nakobe Dean addresses what will change on the field going from Georgia to NFL

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•05/13/22•

Jonathan Wagner

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Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean fell a bit in the 2022 NFL Draft, as he wasn’t selected until the Philadelphia Eagles took him in the third round with the No. 83 overall pick. Dean’s fall was mostly due to injury concerns, but now he is ready to begin his NFL career in Philadelphia.

As he transitions from Georgia to the Eagles, Dean knows it won’t be easy. He remembers the transition from high school to college football, and he expects another sizeable jump as he begins his rookie year this season.

“Probably the attention to detail,” Dean said about the toughest part of transitioning to the NFL. “Everything just like from high school to college, the attention to detail went up. From college to the pros, the attention to detail can go up some more. Everything is under more of a significant microscope.”

Even though everything is under more of a microscope as Dean said, that is something that he embraces. He holds himself to a high standard, and that should help him as he transitions to the NFL.

“It is,” said Dean. “I feel like I’m a detail-oriented person. Just because of the small things, doing a lot of small things help you. At Georgia, it was real structured, everything we did, so it was – everything was done to a standard. I feel like I’m gonna carry that standard, because it’s not only the standard at Georgia, it was a standard I had in myself. And that won’t change.”

The Eagles expect Dean to be on the field quickly

Dean had 25 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as a freshman in 2019, and he turned into a valuable contributor at Georgia in the past two seasons. In 2020, he totaled 71 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss. This past season, Dean totaled 72 tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two interceptions, five passes defended, and two forced fumbles.

As he heads to the NFL with the Eagles, Dean is looking to carry over his collegiate success while becoming a key part of Philadelphia’s defense.

After selecting Dean, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said that he expects Dean to be on the field for rookie minicamp, and encouraging sign after injury concerns surrounded him in the pre-draft process.