NFL Draft 2022: 10 players New York Giants could target if they trade back

Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean is one of the more interesting linebacker prospects in this year’s class.

At 5-11 and 229 pounds, he isn’t the biggest player, but that hasn’t hurt him up to this point. He plays just as fast and big as many of the other players in this class and has a resume that is significantly more polished than theirs.

After taking a starting role in 2020, Dean emerged as the best linebacker on a strong Georgia defense. He led the team in tackles in 2020 and added even more in 2021. Last season he was an All-American and voted as the nation’s top linebacker.

In 39 career games, Dean has recorded 168 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 10 broken-up passes, and generated five turnovers.

Dean has achieved much of his success by using his speed. He can impact plays before they get the opportunity to fully develop and he is a force across the entire field. He can also heavily influence both the pass and run defense for any team that he’s on.

He has recorded 1,442 snaps in his career, proving how reliable he can be. He has spent time in all areas of the defense, recording over 200 snaps in pass-rushing, run-defense, and coverage.

Given a team isn’t discouraged by his size, Dean can be an elite NFL player. He plays a style of football that allowed him to be successful in a difficult SEC conference. Given he falls to the right team, Dean can make an immediate impact in the NFL.