Eagles LB Nakobe Dean Ready for Spotlight? Teammates Weigh In
Is inside linebacker Nakobe Dean ready to step into the spotlight as one of the starters at the second level for the Philadelphia Eagles defense?
That is the big question after the Eagles lost both inside backers from a season ago, T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White, to free agency, forcing Philadelphia to turn to the second-year player in Dean. But this isn't a situation that general manager Howie Roseman didn't foresee when he selected Dean in the third round a year ago.
It is a big leap of faith for the Eagles after Dean barely played in his rookie seasons, mainly serving on special teams in his 17 appearances. But fans saw Dean last year against the Tennessee Titans when he recorded six tackles and one for a loss while playing 15 snaps.
That was when he came off the bench and didn't have to be the "guy," so what about now? That is the question that many of Dean's teammates answered recently at OTAs.
“We started in the weight room obviously, right?” fellow linebacker Nicholas Morrow said about Dean. “He’s very explosive and strong. Then we got into the meetings rooms, he’s smart. He knows his stuff, he knows what’s going on. Good communicator. So he’s doing a great job.”
While Morrow can attest to how Dean's play will translate to the NFL, defensive tackle Jordan Davis can talk about Dean as a player and leader. After all, the two went from Georgia straight to Philadelphia in the NFL.
“If we got a play at Georgia where he’s blitzing, I gotta make sure I get out of his way,” Davis said. “And he has to communicate that. He’s a world-class communicator when it comes to D-line and stuff like that. Just having Nakobe, man, having him get his shot is great. It’s great. There isn’t much to be said but I just love seeing him have his opportunity.”
Davis added that Dean is playing with a chip on his shoulder after previously being projected as a first-round pick, yet injury concerns following the NFL's medical pre-draft process saw him fall to the Eagles at No. 83 overall.
Dean will now look to prove himself to his teammates and coaches, along with the 31 other teams that passed on him during the NFL Draft.
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