Need For Speed: Patriots NFL Draft Target in LB Nakobe Dean?

New England Patriots personnel boss signals the Pats desire to get faster on defense; particularly at linebacker.

It turns out Lt. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell of Top Gun is not the only one with a ‘need for speed.’

After looking a step too slow, and perhaps a bit too long-in-the-tooth at times in 2021, the New England Patriots are ready to get faster on defense; particularly at linebacker.

While meeting with reporters on Friday, new Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh acknowledged the team’s desire to increase the productivity. As New England’s rivals continue to stockpile speedy playmakers on offense, Groh essentially confirmed that the team has already begun the process of doing so.

“There’s multiple ways to do it,” Groh said of improving the team’s overall speed. “We did some of that last year, and have worked on doing that here in free agency. There’s going to be different players all across the league who are considered linebackers, whether they’re converting from a different position in college — safety to linebacker, what not,”

In fact, the team has tipped its hand in that regard, by trading for linebacker Mack Wilson and signing hybrid defensive back Jabrill Peppers.

Though Peppers projects as a safety, he will join a versatile core along with safeties Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips, both known for being able to play multiple positions within New England’s defense. In Peppers’ case, he has aligned at box safety, free safety, wide cornerback, slot cornerback, hybrid linebacker and even taken some snaps on the defensive line over the course of his five-year NFL career. Peppers also has plenty of experience on special teams, having compiled 117 career returns on both punt and kick return duties.

Wilson may be a bit smaller than the prototypical Patriots linebacker, he provides a great deal of upside. In New England’s system, he will project as an inside linebacker, playing off-the-ball. Wilson has the speed and athleticism to earn a starting position.

Doin’ It Through the Draft

With the future of long time defensive captain Dont’a Hightower still uncertain, the Pats will likely be in the market for an impact player in the middle of their defense who can provide the type of sideline-to-sideline coverage needed to neutralize the high-speed receivers, running backs and quarterbacks within their Division, as well as the Conference. In addition to free agency, the Pats also appear poised to address the position in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

As the college continues to migrate towards using smaller players at the linebacker position, the NFL is following suit.

“It’s a different game than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago, and [the physical make-up of the linebacker] has also changed,” Groh said. “There are not as many of those big linebackers,” Groh said. “They don’t exist. Colleges want them smaller because they have to be able to adapt to the college game. You can’t just create these guys out of thin air. With all the positions, it’s what the college game provides us. We have to just take what they are going to give us from year to year.”

One of the more intriguing options available within the Patriots first-round selection range (at no. 21 overall) is University of Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean.

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Standing at only 5-11 tall, Dean may not exactly fit the mold of the Patriots linebacker. However, he has the sideline-to-sideline speed and fluid movement that can make him an instant difference maker in both pass defense and the pass rush. But Dean’s greatest asset is his ability to defend against the run…something the Pats have had trouble with at the linebacker position in recent seasons. Dean plays downhill and is very quick to diagnose run plays. He was among the leading tacklers for the National Champions, as well as in the nation and he rarely misses tackles in the box. Drafting Dean would be a signal that the Patriots are indeed intending to go against script in 2022.

Next Men Up?

While looking outside of the organization is a smart strategy, few franchises value ‘promoting from within’ more than the Patriots. After all, ‘next-man-up’ is practically part of the lexicon at One Patriots Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Fortunately for the Pats, three of the Patriots most versatile athletes, capable of infusing the velocity for which the team is searching, reside on their linebacker depth chart.

Josh Uche

Despite being one of the most highly-touted Patriots' rookies in 2020, Uche’s 2021 season did not exactly live up to expectations. His placement on injured reserve in mid-November (resulting from an ankle injury) stalled a season in which he had been used sporadically. In eight games this season, Uche recorded three sacks, four quarterback hits, one fumble recovery and 12 tackles [four, for loss] as a rotational edge rusher. Still, Uche has the speed, athleticism and system savvy to be a factor in the Patriots defense as an edge rusher or an off-the-ball linebacker. While it remains to be seen whether he will be used as a pass rush specialist or a true every-down move linebacker, he has the skillset to play on the line in the Patriots’ 5-1 looks as well as their 4-2 and 4-3 alignments and also move back if they run a more traditional 3-4. Uche will need to step up his game to earn a prominent spot in the Pats linebacking corps in 2022.

Cameron McGrone

New England once again dipped into the Michigan defensive well with McGrone’s selection in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 234-pound linebacker has some upside, and has the potential to be a three-down player. McGrone played in only 19 games with 15 starts at Michigan, a relatively small sample size for scouting purposes. He finished his collegiate career with the Wolverines with 91 tackles, including 11 for loss, to go with four sacks and one forced fumble. McGrone suffered a season-ending ACL injury versus Rutgers in November 2020. As a result, his draft stock plummeted. However, his toughness and impressive range clearly made him worth the investment for New England. Despite not playing a down for the Pats in 2021, he is expected to add both speed and athleticism to the position for 2022.

Raekwon McMillan

One of the Pats biggest defensive struggles in 2021 was a lack of speed in executing their coverage assignments. Here is where McMillan may be able to thrive in the Pats defense. The former Miami Dolphin signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in March 2021. As such, he was expected to compete for a depth spot on the team’s linebacking corps. McMillain was enjoying a solid camp performance, routinely applying pressure to the quarterback and providing stout coverage in his assignments. Despite entering the 2021 season with a significantly upgraded depth chart at linebacker, McMillan was making a strong case for a spot on the Patriots regular season roster. His ACL tear during training sadly ended his season before it started. However, McMillan is expected to compete for a roster spot in 2022.

With OTAs set to begin in just over a month, the Patriots are hoping to begin their preparations for the 2022 season with an extra burst off the line and a bit more speed in their stride. The only question remains is how much longer will they continue to feel the need.