NFL Draft 2022: 3 prospects worth New York Giants trading up for

Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

Although edge rusher is a massive need for the New York Giants’ defense, a notable addition to the linebacker room, specifically a middle linebacker is also essential. Blake Martinez is coming off an ACL tear, so it remains to be seen if he can return to his 2020 form, while Tae Crowder, Cam Brown, and Carter Coughlin have all played sparingly at the middle linebacker position with minimal successes.

Nakobe Dean would be a huge addition to the middle linebacker group, and a seamless fit in new Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s 3-4 defense. Dean is just 5’11, 229 pounds, which has concerned some teams and pushed him down the mock draft the past few months. This could be to the benefit of the Giants. Similar to Johnson, the Giants could target Dean if he is still on the board late in the first round.

Dean is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, who uses his perceived weakness of size to his advantage, as his slimmer frame has enabled him to have unmatched quickness. Dean ran a 4.51, 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, showing just how explosive he can be.

Playing on the historic Georgia defense with fellow 2022 early-round draft picks, Jordan Davis, Devontae Wyatt, Travon Walker, Quay Walker, and Channing Tindall, Dean’s stats are not eye-popping, but his tape does not lie, especially in the National Championship game against Alabama where Dean was flying around the field, both in run-stopping and in coverage.

Martinez struggles in coverage but excels against the run, so Dean’s ability to drop into coverage would be integral. Dean’s quickness allows him to play both inside and outside linebacker, giving needed versatility in Martindale’s 3-4 defense. If Martinez returns to form and becomes the tackling machine he is when fully healthy, he could form quite the formidable duo with Dean.

Dean would fit in seamlessly in New York, where he could join ex-college teammates and fellow linebackers, Tae Crowder and Azeez Ojulari, as well as left tackle Andrew Thomas.