UGA football’s Nakobe Dean receives NFL player comparisons
Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean is hoping to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Dean put up incredible numbers throughout his career with Georgia.
Dean has impressive instincts, football intelligence and is extremely fast. Dean’s biggest knock throughout the NFL draft process will be his lack of size, but does that even matter?
Modern NFL defenses are looking for speed, versatility, sound tacklers and smart players. That sounds exactly like Nakobe Dean, who is an engineering major with strong leadership traits.
Dean has been compared to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush and former Atlanta Falcon legend Jessie Tuggle.
Tuggle is No. 4 in total tackles in NFL history with 1,805 tackles. Tuggle (5-foot-11, 230-pounds) has similar size to Dean.
Tuggle made five Pro Bowls with the Falcons. He played in the NFL from 1987-2000. An NFC executive compared Dean to Tuggle.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle in a 1991 NFL game. Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Bush was an undersized linebacker coming out of Michigan, but that did not stop him from being the No. 10 pick of the 2019 NFL draft. Bush has 205 career tackles and four interceptions across three NFL seasons.
Bush and Dean have very similar sizes. Bush is 5-foot-11, 235-pounds and is lightning fast. Dean is 6-foot, 225-pounds with similar speed. Both are built to stop playmakers in space.
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Devin Bush. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Nakobe Dean to Devin Bush.
Explosive, three-down linebacker with the demeanor and quickness to become a volume tackler while holding down third-down duties at a high level. 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.
Dean’s speed and coverage ability could allow him to play like a box safety similar to Jeremy Chinn of the Carolina Panthers and several other NFL players.
