Dallas Cowboys Draft: 5 possible draft options at Pick 24
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Draft Option 4
Nakobe Dean, LB
Georgia
Nakobe Dean is either LB1 or LB2 by most draft scouts this year but I think after testing and the full scouting cycle is complete he’s be fully entrenched as the LB2, taking a backseat to Devin Lloyd and his “generational” ceiling.
I say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek because I too see Lloyd as a possible exception to the “don’t draft an off-ball LB in the first round” rule, but I also think the hype train is going to get crazy regarding Lloyd’s potential and comparables.
Nakobe Dean’s 91.4 pass rush grade in 2021 was the highest by an SEC LB in the PFF era ⛓
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 21, 2022
https://t.co/wksoKd6LYa
This isn’t to say Dean is lacking NFL upside either. By all accounts Neal looks like a physical freak himself. He’s explosive, reliable, and diverse in his skillset. He graded out elite in both coverage and pass-rushing last season for Georgia and that rarely happens for college prospects.
Nakobe Dean is going 21 in Brugler’s mock draft and 16 in PFF’s mock but he falls out of the first round entirely in Crabbs’ mock. The jury seems be out on the undersized linebacker and size is the only reason I see why. At 6-foot-0 225lbs. Dean isn’t prototypical in any regard, but the five star recruit is smart, athletic, and without weakness.
On the Dallas Cowboys Dean would be the WILL. His sideline to sideline speed and his ability to blitz up the middle combined with his coverage skills makes him an every-down player. He and Jabril Cox would combine to form quite the duo on nickel downs. What about Micah Parsons? Oh, he’s playing the EDGE on those obvious passing downs.