Nakobe Dean next to go for Georgia in NFL Draft decision season
To no surprise, Georgia junior linebacker Nakobe Dean has decided to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. The Horn Lake, Miss. native won the Butkus Award this fall as the best linebacker in the country. He also earned All-American and All-SEC honors from a variety of outlets including the Associated Press, Walter Camp, American Football Coaches Association, Sporting News, USA Today, ESPN, The Athletic and CBS, among others.
Dean totaled 72 tackles this season, second on the team behind Lewis Cine, including a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss. His 6.0 sacks was also second to Robert Beal.
“I would first like to thank God for blessing me to be able to be in this position. If it weren’t for Him, I would not be here today. The past three years at the University of Georgia have been nothing short of amazing and I will never forget the unwavering support I have received from the greatest fans in college football,” Dean wrote. “I would like to thank my family for continuously being in my corner no matter what and supporting me through all of my endeavors up to this point. I am forever grateful for you instilling such great work ethic into me.”
“Lastly, I would like to thank the entire UGA coaching and Athletic Staff as well as every instructor, mentor and peer I have encountered during my time here. I appreciate you all for believing in me and pushing me to measures beyond what I could imagine,” he continued. “After much thought and prayer, I have decided to forgo my senior year at UGA and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Go Dawgs!”
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Dean made an impact early during his college career, earning a spot in the rotation as a true freshman. He played in all 14 games that season and was named co-winner of the Defensive Newcomer of the Year during Georgia’s postseason awards gala. The next season he worked his way into the starting lineup and played 76 percent of the Bulldogs’ total defensive snaps, tops among any linebacker. He was the leading tackler with 71 stops and 13 quarterback pressures including 15 tackles in a career-best performance versus Florida. The week prior he had 14 and the game after he had 12. Finally, in his junior year, Dean proved to be one of the best defenders in the country, starting all 15 games for the top-ranked defense.
While Dean’s departure was expected, it definitely still hurts to see him go. Georgia is likely to lose Quay Walker and Channing Tindall from the inside linebacker room as well. That will leave Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon and Xavaian Sorey to carry the burden alongside veterans Rian Davis and Trezman Marshall as well as newcomers Jalon Walker and CJ Washington.
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