Alabama vs. Georgia: Top 10 NFL Draft prospects to watch in National Championship Game
By Matt Melton
2. Nakobe Dean, Georgia linebacker
In a draft that could feature anywhere from two-to-four linebackers being selected in the first round, the leader, or top name, in that group is Nakobe Dean, a player who displays a very-similar skill-set to former Georgia star and current Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith. In fact, Dean could follow a similar draft route to the former first round pick in the Top 10 picks overall.
Similar to Smith, Dean displays truly elite speed from the linebacker position that sets him apart from other top names in this draft class, as well as an ability to cause chaos for offensive lines and running backs on blitzes, something he has turned into a career-high six sacks this season with 68 tackles.
In fact, one could certainly argue that of all the first round linebackers in recent draft’s, there are few whose athleticism truly sticks-out more at first glance than Dean, and combined with his high football IQ, makes the junior a can’t-miss player at the linebacker position.
One of the stars of the dominant Georgia defense, expect Dean to be everywhere on the field against the Alabama offense, not only through blitzes and run-stopping, but also dropping into pass coverage at times.
The clear top linebacker in the 2022 NFL Draft, Dean will look to put the finishing touches on his impressive collegiate career on Monday night.