Nakobe Dean

Nakobe Rashod Dean (born December 13, 2000) is an American football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, winning the 2021 Butkus Award before being selected by the Eagles in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Nakobe Dean
No. 17 – Philadelphia Eagles
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (2000-12-13) December 13, 2000
Horn Lake, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:Horn Lake
College:Georgia (2019–2021)
NFL Draft:2022 / Round: 3 / Pick: 83
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2022
Total tackles:13
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

High school career

Dean played high school football at Horn Lake High School. As a senior he won the High School Butkus Award.[1] As a five-star recruit Dean committed to Georgia after receiving offers from Ole Miss and Alabama.[2]

College career

As a true freshman for the Georgia Bulldogs football team, Dean recorded 25 total tackles despite battling injuries.[3] In 2021, he won the Butkus Award given annually to college football's best linebacker and finished the season as a key member of the team that won the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship.[4][5][6] On January 15, 2022, Dean declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.[7]

College statistics
Season GP Tackles Sacks Interceptions Fumbles Scoring
SoloAstCombTFLSckYdsIntYdsPDFRYdsFFTD
2019 141411251.5000020010
2020 103932711.51.590000000
2021 1536367210.564725060021
Career39897916814.57.55625080031

Professional career

Dean was invited to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. He performed limited positional drills due to an injury (a torn pectoral muscle) that he suffered while training for the NFL Draft.[8]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span
5 ft 11+1⁄4 in
(1.81 m)		 229 lb
(104 kg)		 31+7⁄8 in
(0.81 m)		 9+1⁄8 in
(0.23 m)
All values from NFL Combine[9][10][11]

Dean was selected in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.[12] His draft-day slide was considered surprising, but NFL analyst Ian Rapoport pointed out that teams were reportedly concerned about Dean's size, and his decision to opt against getting surgery to repair his pectoral injury. Dean appeared in all 17 games as a rookie and mainly played on special teams.[13] Dean's rookie season ended with a trip to Super Bowl LVII where the Eagles lost 38–35 to the Kansas City Chiefs.[14]

Dean entered the 2023 season as the Eagles starting middle linebacker. He suffered a foot injury in Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve on September 12, 2023.[15] He was activated on October 14.

Personal life

Dean is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and was initiated while at Georgia. Dean's older brother, Nikolas, played tight end at Ole Miss.[16] In 2022, Dean was named the Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.[17]

References
  1. Thompson, Khari (December 5, 2018). "Horn Lake football star Nakobe Dean wins High School Butkus Award as nation's top linebacker". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  2. Daniels, Tim (December 19, 2018). "5-Star LB Nakobe Dean Commits to Georgia over Alabama, Ole Miss". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  3. Miller, Bob (March 16, 2020). "2020 Georgia Spring Football Primer: Monty Rice leads a lean, mean inside linebacking corps – Bulldawg Illustrated". Bulldawg Illustrated. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  4. "Dick Butkus Award Winners". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  5. "2021 Georgia Bulldogs Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  6. "2021 Georgia Bulldogs Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  7. Kasabian, Paul (January 14, 2022). "Georgia's Nakobe Dean Declares for 2022 NFL Draft After CFP Title Win vs. Alabama". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  8. Towers, Chip (March 16, 2022). "'Pec strain' limits Nakobe Dean's participation at UGA's Pro Day". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  9. "Nakobe Dean Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  10. "2022 Draft Scout Nakobe Dean, Georgia NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  11. "Nakobe Dean 2022 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  12. Foley, Graham (April 29, 2022). "Eagles draft LB Nakobe Dean with the No. 83 overall pick". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  13. "Nakobe Dean 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  14. "Super Bowl LVII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 12th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  15. "Eagles sign Nicholas Morrow to the active roster, Rashaan Evans to the practice squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 12, 2023.
  16. "Nakobe Dean – 2020 – Football". University of Georgia Athletics. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  17. Elfman, Lois (April 25, 2022). "Paying It Forward". Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Retrieved February 25, 2023.


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