Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean should force Joe Douglas and the New York Jets to think twice in the 2022 NFL draft.
As it relates to the 2022 NFL draft, New York Jets fans are focused on certain positions—and for good reason.
Wide receiver, cornerback, edge defender and interior defensive line are four dire needs Joe Douglas must address. Even the offensive line could use some help.
But there’s another position that desperately needs additional force.
The full Nakobe Dean film breakdown can be seen at the bottom of this article.
What about linebacker? What about Georgia product Nakobe Dean?
Aside from C.J. Mosley, young Quincy Williams and the two converted young safeties (Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamien Sherwood), it’s slim pickings at the depth chart’s position.
Considering the Jets only have one proven starter in Mosley, linebacker should be, at the very least, somewhat in the discussion for the Jets at No. 10, and Dean brings the goods to the table.
Dean, who caught fans’ eyes as he kept flashing on the screen while Georgia made its run through the College Football Playoff, would be the perfect player to add to the linebacker room.
- Is he worth the hype?
- Is he worth considering at 10 overall or just in a trade-down scenario?
- Does he fit the Robert Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich system?
These questions and much more are answered in the latest edition of Blewett’s Blitz. The full Nakobe Dean film breakdown can be viewed at the bottom of this article.
YouTube clip and podcast episode
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Quick
- Speed
- Good tackler
- Rarely false steps
- Quick feet
- Physicality
- Aggression
- Motor
- Range
- Smart
- Awareness
- Playmaker
- Quick to fill/shoot gaps
- Lateral agility
- Covers RB with ease
- Slippery past blocks
- Acceleration
- Flexible
- Keeps clean through traffic
- Aggression taking on blocks
- Good eyes
- Loose hips
- Quick to find near threat in coverage
- Quick to find threat after play action
- Sniffs out screens
- Stays square in coverage and doesn’t overcommit
- Active hands shedding blocks and as pass rusher
- Bend
- Power through bend for size
- Great blitzer
- Snap timing
- Quick to pass off threats and find next in zone drops
- Not afraid to bang
- Brings thump for size
- Awareness of formations
- Quick to trigger
- Corners well
- Patient but sudden in filling gaps
- Shortens stride to cross O-lineman’s face when squared up
- Understand leverage/angles of O-lineman
- Blitz timing
- Spacial awareness
Weaknesses
- Height at next level
- Blocking shedding vs. O-lineman at next level
- Arm length
- Can be too aggressive pressing, letting O-linemen get good angles on him in run game (not a big issue)
- Will he be able to stack blockers?
- Size vs. NFL TE?
- Didn’t see him match up vs. TE often
- Can come into tackles a little high
- Can over-run ball carriers as working laterally to sideline
- WILL backer only?