Eagles News: Nakobe Dean “could end up being the biggest steal of the entire draft”

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

2022 NFL Draft: Biggest Round 2 & Round 3 steals - PFF
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: LB NAKOBE DEAN (83RD OVERALL). Dean’s draft stock has been in a tailspin since Thursday night, and it has nothing to do with his exceptional tape at Georgia. A source told PFF’s Austin Gayle that the off-ball linebacker reportedly put off shoulder surgery this past year, causing significant damage. On top of that, Dean has a pec and knee issue that raised red flags to NFL teams. Assuming he’s able to regain full health — whether it be with or without a redshirt year — this could end up being the biggest steal of the entire draft. Dean is one of the most instinctive players to come out of college in recent memory. And, in my opinion, he was the most important player in Georgia’s historically good defense this past year. Even head coach Kirby Smart called him the “Commander-in-Chief” of that group. Last season, Dean product became the only off-ball linebacker in the PFF College era to earn a 90.0-plus single-season PFF grade in coverage and as a pass-rusher. The 5-foot-11, 229-pound off-ball linebacker racked up 31 pressures and 15 passing stops in 2021, top-10 marks among Power Five linebackers. He also ranked sixth in the Power Five in pass-rush win rate (22.3%), allowed a first down at the lowest rate among linebackers (13.5%) and didn’t surrender a single touchdown.

Howie Roseman expects Nakobe Dean to participate in Eagles rookie minicamp - BGN
“HOWIE ROSEMAN: Nakobe Dean’s going to be on the field this week when we have rookie minicamp.” Roseman said that Dean doesn’t have an injury he can’t play through, and there’s no surgery scheduled for his pec issue. He later confirmed that Dean has a pec strain, but that there’s no concern about this being a lingering problem. The GM said he called the team doctors three or four times just to make sure he wasn’t missing something, but they got a lot of information about him and felt comfortable making the pick. Howie acknowledged that Dean slid out of the first round because of the injury concerns, but also noted that if they didn’t pick him at No. 83 he was coming off the board shortly afterward.

At the Podium: Cam Jurgens and Nakobe Dean - BGN Radio
The Eagles Day two draft picks Cam Jurgens and Nakobe Dean speak with the Philly media.

Eagles WR Jalen Reagor wipes his social media accounts - PhillyVoice
alen Reagor has fallen way down the Eagles’ depth chart, and he doesn’t seem to be taking it well. The 23-year old wide receiver has scrubbed both his Twitter and Instagram accounts of all their posts and blacked out his profile pictures. His time in Philadelphia may be coming to an end soon.

Eagles Add a Star LB - Iggles Blitz
Dean is a high character player and team leader. He was the heart and soul of Georgia’s amazing defense. He is an outstanding student and a guy that people just rave about it. As a player, Dean is a stud LB. He has terrific instincts and outstanding range. He is a physical hitter and tackler. He has solid cover skills. Dean is only 5-11, 229 and that’s not ideal size. He’s not an elite athlete. He is just a damn good football player who showed up every week and made a ton of key plays. Why the slide? Teams were concerned with some injury issues, most notably a pec injury. Dean elected not to have surgery, preferring to try physical therapy. Apparently that decision bothered some teams. There is a question about whether Dean will be healthy for the upcoming season or will need to have the surgery that he put off.

NFL draft 2022 Rounds 2 and 3 winners, head-scratching picks, reaches and best values: Mel Kiper’s Day 2 updates - ESPN+
More picks I liked in Rounds 2 and 3: Nakobe Dean’s medical reports were flagged by teams, which is why he dropped all the way to No. 83. But when he gets healthy, he’s going to be a steal for the Eagles. He should have gone in Round 1. Yes, he’s a little undersized, but he will make this defense better. And he gets to play behind his Georgia teammate Jordan Davis.

Grading Eagles’ Day 2 moves: Do they know something about Nakobe Dean other teams don’t? - The Athletic
Jurgens: B. Second-round picks spent on the interior offensive line in back-to-back years seems like too significant an investment, even if we know it’s what the organization prioritizes. With Kelce returning as an All-Pro and other center-capable players on the roster, it feels as if the Eagles are too concerned with finding a long-term replacement for Kelce. But if Jurgens and Dean were truly the top players on their board, it’s hard to argue with the process, especially with no trade-down opportunity. Dean: B+. Without knowing the specifics of the injuries at hand, it’s hard to evaluate the Eagles’ risk. But a third-round pick spent on a player with first-round talent is a smart swing to take. And frankly, Dean seems like an awesome addition to the locker room. The pick just hinges on the Eagles being right that they know better than the rest of the league.

The First Read: Winners and losers from Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft - NFL.com
LOSERS: 3) Nakobe Dean: It’s tough to think Dean landed on this list two days in a row. A talented linebacker expected by many to go in the first round waited until the third round to hear his name called by the Philadelphia Eagles. (NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that teams’ concerns over a pectoral injury came into play, and while Eagles GM Howie Roseman did tell reporters that Dean has a pec injury, Roseman said it doesn’t require surgery and won’t keep Dean from attending the team’s rookie minicamp.) That’s a painful experience, especially for somebody who was posted up in the green room in Las Vegas on Thursday night. Now, here’s the upside: Dean is going to a team that desperately needs help in the middle of the defense. He’s a legitimate difference-maker who plays with the kind of passion that people in that town savor. Even though he lost a lot of potential money with the drop to No. 83, the safe bet is that he becomes a fan favorite in a hurry.

The Philadelphia Eagles Draft Cam Jurgens with the 51st Pick - Corn Nation
Jurgens is a perfect fit with the Eagles who love to have athletic lineman. Philadelphia already has Jason Kelce at center who is one of the best in the NFL. However Kelce is on the downside of his career and 2021 may be his last one with the Eagles. The Eagles love to draft lineman and have them sit and develop for a year before eventually taking over. Jurgens will be joining former Husker teammate Jack Stoll in Philadelphia.

Cam Jurgens: NFL Draft Prospect Interview - The Draft Network
JM: It pops on tape. How did playing in Nebraska’s offense help prepare you for the next level? CJ: We ran a lot of different schemes and systems under coach Frost. We really ran a little bit of everything. It taught me how to be diverse. We ran some power stuff. We ran some gap plays, some pin-and-pull plays. We ran a wide zone scheme and some split zone as well. Coach Frost exposed us to a little bit of everything. When I get to the next level, I’ll already have some familiarity with whatever system I land in. Whatever we run, I’ve seen it before. It’s going to help me be a quick learner. Whatever it may be, we did something similar at Nebraska. We ran a very diverse system. We ran a lot of power, a lot of wide spread stuff. We really did a little bit of everything. It’s going to help me a ton at the next level, and it was fun to get a feel for what NFL teams do and run at the combine.

Nakobe Dean: NFL Draft Prospect Interview - The Draft Network
JM: Coach Schumann was definitely onto something. You’re an excellent blitzer. You finished second on the team in sacks with six quarterback takedowns in 2021. In the passing game, you’re athletic enough to play man-to-man against tight ends and running backs, and you get good depth in your zone drops as well. Being able to impact the passing game is so important for today’s linebackers. Tell me a little about your abilities in that area. ND: It goes back to coach Schumann. He challenged us to become better players in coverage. Being able to cover is so important. When I came here as a freshman, they used to put me in the game on third downs so I could cover tight ends and running backs. It’s a big part of the game, and it’s always been a part of my game. I’m going to continue to develop and get better.

Ridder, Dean, Willis Slide in Day 2 - Football Outsiders
JP Acosta: I LOVE the fit for Nakobe in Philly. Speed and range is what Philly needs at the position and if you’re worried about him taking on blocks he has Jordan Davis in front of him again.

Mom knows best: Jordan Davis’ mother started the road to becoming an Eagle - PE.com
The selection hit home for Davis. Although he was born and raised in North Carolina, his mother, Shay Allen, is an Eagles fan. Her love for the Birds stemmed from her love for Donovan McNabb when she was in college. She specifically mentioned his Campbell’s Chunky Soup commercial when she met with reporters after Davis’ press conference. She stayed loyal to her team. Davis has his mother to thank for getting into football. As he hit his growth spurt early in high school, Allen said she had trouble keeping up with Davis’ growing appetite. When Davis transferred to Mallard Creek High School, he was immediately recruited to the school’s football team. His mom was sold purely on their summer practices – which had breakfast and lunch included. “He will be here,” Allen said with a laugh. “Tell me what day it starts. I’ll drop him off. I don’t care if he’s a waterboy or doing equipment, because that will save me on my grocery bill.”

A.J. Brown: I would have stayed if Titans offered me $22M, but they didn’t even offer $20M - PFT
The Titans traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles on Thursday night, and Brown and the Eagles agreed to a new contract that averages $25 million a year. Brown says he never would have left Tennessee if the Titans were willing to pay him close to what the Eagles are paying him. “I would have stayed if they offered me $22 million,” Brown told ESPN.

The NFC East had an interesting draft on Day 2 - Hogs Haven
I’m not sure that fans will be as accepting of the Commanders second round pick, even after they get a night to sleep on it. Phidarian Mathis is a big-bodied interior defensive lineman from Alabama. Not only had Mathis been expected to be drafted closer to the 4th round, but many Twitterites argued that the team was reactive — using a valuable draft pick on a non-premium position to replace players that they had cut or let walk out the door (Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle). Oddly, this was perceived as a lack of planning by the front office when it was probably just the opposite. While fans may not be enthusiastic about the move, it appears to be a calculated one that is intended to reduce salary cap spending by selecting a rookie who is projected to eat up just $1.4m of 2022 cap space. Moreover, while Ron Rivera was adamant in his Friday press conference that the selection of Mathis did not affect the team’s long-term plans with Daron Payne, having the newest Alabama DT in on the roster as a seasoned player in 2023 seems to open up the options for the Commanders brass when Payne’s contract expires at the end of the current season.

Instant analysis: Cowboys add a versatile, explosive WR in Jalen Tolbert to their WR room - Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys finally got their receiver in the 2022 Draft. After getting through the first two rounds without adding to the receiver room, South Alabama WR Jalen Tolbert somehow fell to them at the 88th overall pick. Tolbert brings a ton of versatility to the receiver room, showing the ability to play on the boundary and in the slot with his 6’1”, 200-lb frame. The Cowboys obviously had need at receiver after losing Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson from the roster this offseason. They are also unsure of just when Michael Gallup will be back on the field. Adding depth was a priority. Tolbert is a silky smooth athlete with the ability to create at all three levels with easy separation skills. He is a fluid route-runner showing good movement skills at the top of his routes to separate late, or early off the line with quality release skills. Tolbert shines when he’s asked to track the football down the field, and has impressive ball skills to win above the rim and in contested catch situations.

‘Things I think’ after Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft: The fickle nature of fandom - Big Blue View
I think everyone who is out there simply needs to climb back down off the ledge. Come back in, have a cup of coffee, chill out for a while and give these players a chance. Yes, there were other players I had convinced myself I wanted for the Giants on Day 2. I thought Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth was perfect for the Giants, and was bummed when he went No. 42 to the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, I was and am a big believer in Nakobe Dean. I did not, though, know about the apparent “severe pec injury” he has opted against surgery for. Yes, I would have expected the pick at No. 43 to be George Pickens, Skyy Moore, Alec Pierce or even tight end Trey McBride if the Giants wanted a pass catcher in that spot. Yes, there were other interior offensive linemen I would have expected Schoen to take instead of Joshua Ezeudu. Yes, I would have preferred a bigger cornerback who could easily fit on the outside to Cordale Flott. All of that said, I always ask fans to remember that NFL teams know far more about these players than of us do. They have done far more than watch a couple of cut-ups or YouTube highlights and perused a few media big boards.

The best available players after Round 3 of the 2022 NFL Draft - SB Nation
There’s still plenty of talent on the board, and below we’ve updated a list of best players available. The list comes from the consensus big board rankings at NFL Mock Draft Database. Oklahoma defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey is the top remaining player, and he’s followed by UNC quarterback Sam Howell. Check out the BPA below, and find the full results for the first three rounds here. As always, you can bet on the rest of the draft at DraftKings Sportsbook. The fourth round opens the final day of the draft at 12 p.m. ET.

NFL Reacts #38: Recapping Day 1 of the NFL Draft - The SB Nation NFL Show
Welcome to another edition of NFL Reacts! Stephen Serda, Kate Magdziuk, and Justis Mosqueda discuss the absolutely insane first night of the NFL Draft. After what’s been the craziest offseason in NFL history the draft did not disappoint with a record 9 trades in the first round. The Philadelphia Eagles stole the show by making a blockbuster deal with the Tennessee Titans that saw them acquire and extend star wide receiver, A.J. Brown. The Ravens traded Marquise Brown to the Cardinals and put together two very Baltimore first-round picks. We finish things up with our winners and losers from night 1 before we discuss our favorite players still on the board.

...

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio

BGN Cameo: Click here for a personalized video message