Nakobe Dean Gaining NFL Recognition

Nakobe Dean is the unquestioned leader for this unbelievable Georgia defense and he's beginning to gain attention and recognition from the NFL.

Linebacker Nakobe Dean has been an impact player for Georgia since the day he stepped foot on campus in Athens. As a true freshman, he was in charge of running Georgia's third down defense beside now New York Giant Tae Crowder. In 2020, as a sophomore, he took over the playcalling duties for Georgia alongside now Tennessee Titan Monty Rice. And in 2021, as a junior, he's the unquestioned leader for the nation's top defense. 

He's career accomplishments to date have somewhat gone under the radar from the NFL's perspective. That is no longer true, however, five weeks into the season, Dean is padding the stat book and flashing all over the field for a defense that is simply incredible. 

ESPN's lead NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is finally starting to take notice as well, calling Dean a "Prospect on the Rise." 

Dean is the leader of this unbelievable Georgia defense, which smothered Arkansas in a 37-0 blowout. The Bulldogs are allowing an FBS-best 3.3 yards per play, 110 passing yards per game, and 10.2 first downs per game. They are elite. Dean, the third-ranked inside linebacker in my updated position rankings, hadn't popped on tape as a pass-rusher before this season, but he already has 3.5 sacks, including 1.5 on Saturday. 

Dean's blitzing ability was one of the primary reasons Clemson struggled mightily against this Georgia defense. He was consistently in the backfield, forcing D.J. Uiagalelei outside of the pocket down after down in that season opener. 

Now, Nakobe Dean has one of his biggest tests in terms of showing elite athleticism, as he and this Georgia defense will be tasked with chasing down the athletic Bo Nix. 

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