After being widely viewed as the linebacker of the future, Nakobe Dean entered the summer as one of the Philadelphia Eagles' biggest question marks.
On one hand, the Eagles loaded up on talent at the position in Devon White, Zack Baun, Oren Burks, and Jeremiah Trotter, the most popular fifth-round pick in Philadelphia history, which is never good for any player whose team just hired a new defensive coordinator. Then again, Dean is just 23, is under contract next year, and is a part of the Georgia fraternity with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, and Keele Ringo, which Philly is clearly banking on as the cornerstone base of their future success.
Battling with Baun for the LB2 spot now that White is more or less locked in as Vic Fangio's top ‘backer, how has Dean's strong efforts in the preseason helped in the horse race for a starting spot this fall? Well, Nick Sirianni was asked that very question one day removed from the Eagles' preseason win over the Patriots and let it be known that Dean's efforts aren't being taken for granted.
“Yeah, I think he’s had a nice camp. I’m excited about that linebacker group. We got some guys that haven’t played at all and some guys that are veterans, and I’m excited about that group. Nakobe played really well in the game,” Sirianni told reporters.
“[Eagles beat writer] Bo [Wulf], you asked me who played well. I thought Nakobe played a really good game. He was flying around to the ball. He had this play – first of all, just to talk about our core values, he had a detailed play on his tackle where he shot out and made a tackle on a screen. That was awesome, right? His fundamentals of tackling. He just got the guy down. Not the prettiest way, just get the guy down. We talk a lot about our fundamentals of tackling. We are going to do a drill out here today to emphasize it again.
“He just did an unbelievable job getting the guy down. Then he had a play where he blitzed, had the [running] back on him. Would like to have a better win there on that play, but then the play — we had a couple missed tackles on the play, and he’s four yards in the backfield and retraces and makes a really good tackle. Sometimes what happens on missed tackles is it turns into an explosive [play]. Well, that didn’t because of the relentless effort of Nakobe. His fundamentals, his tackling, his block destruction, and his effort on his plays is really where you’re able to see his talent.”
Leading all linebackers in snaps at 27 versus the Patriots, Dean led all Eagles in both total and solo tackles at five and four, respectively, looking good in coverage and holding up very well against the run despite still looking a tad undersized. If Dean can continue to shine in the preseason finale, who knows, maybe he really could break into the starting rotation and even overcome Baun's snap counts by midway through the 2024 NFL season.
Nakobe Dean is excited to get back to full health with the Eagles
Speaking with the Eagles' official website about the long and winding road he's traveled from suffering a Lisfranc injury in November of 2023 to getting back on the field nine months later for the preseason Birds, Dean detailed his journey and how he's now not only back, but better off because of the adversity.
“It definitely was a long road. The injury I had was a tough one, but I feel good now. Strong. Feel like I'm back. It was amazing to get back on the field and playing football. The injury that I had, it was hard and it was long. I didn't have a day off. I didn't have an offseason. It was at least five days a week all the way up until Training Camp started as far as getting the foot right. I'm not back. I'm better,” Dean told the Eagles website.
“Every bit of it, I'm better. I feel like I've been better than in my first two years. The injury, working helped me get back to myself physically, and it made me mentally stronger, spiritually stronger, and has kind of helped lock me in. I'm older, and I'm maturing, and a lot of the little things that I've got to do post-practice, pre-practice to get my body ready to endure a 17-game, 20-game, 21-game season, I'm doing. It has pushed me, and I'm clawing my way back.”
If Dean was fully healthy at the start of training camp, who knows, maybe he would have ended this positional competition before it even became one, with Baun sticking at outside linebacker instead of becoming a surprise ILB convert. Still, just because it took him a little longer to get on the field doesn't mean he can't capitalize on it now that he's back to full strength; if Dean can continue to shine, who knows, maybe he will still be the Eagles' linebacker of the future.
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