Georgia ILB Nakobe Dean Focused on Leadership Role in NFL

INDIANAPOLIS — Nakobe Dean isn’t shy about his goals at the next level. After leading what was considered a historically great defense for Georgia’s national championship team, he wants to become the leader of an NFL defense as soon as possible.

“My goal is going straight to get a green dot,” Dean said, referencing the one player who communicates the call from the sideline to the rest of the defense. “Leadership doesn’t have an age. (Georgia inside linebackers) coach (Brian) Landis used to say if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. So I feel like you just have to gain the respect of guys, (get) that trust in the guys and you have to know who you are playing with.

“So of course, I have to come in and earn my respect. I don’t think that I’m going to go in and be looked at as a leader; it’s something that I have to earn and get that trust in.”

Dean’s goal certainly isn’t unprecedented. A year ago, Dallas drafted Penn State product Micah Parsons 12th overall and handed him the green dot. The former Nittany Lion became the Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection. In 2019, Tampa Bay did the same thing with Devin White after taking him fifth overall.

Based on the responsibilities Georgia coach Kirby Smart gave Dean during his recovery from a torn labrum in the spring of 2021, Dean seems an ideal candidate to do the same thing. When spring practice started, the Bulldogs put Dean in pads and gave him their scripted plays, giving him a different perspective on his position.

“I saw everything more from a coach’s perspective,” he said. “I definitely had freshman linebackers coming in (for advice) and was able to be more of a coach, which overall helped me (better) understand the game and helped me do what I did this season.”

What Dean did during his Butkus Award-winning season will have to carry a fair amount of weight for the time being, as he’s opting to skip the Combine’s workouts and wait until his pro day to work out for interested teams.

Whether that ends up helping the Steelers possibly land him remains to be seen. Dean said he believes himself to be a first-round choice and most mock drafts agree, but where he lands in the first round differs greatly from mock to mock. His name has appeared anywhere from a borderline top 10 selection to near the back of the first round, which suggests that he could be a possibility to fall to the Steelers at 20 if they opt to go in that direction.

Dean hasn’t shied away from questioning at the Combine, but he readily admits that he’d rather focus on learning how he can help a defense than on the drills and character questions that come with most formal meetings in Indianapolis.

He cited his meeting with Miami as a highlight of his week, mainly because the Dolphins talked to him about football rather than anything off the field.

“I loved that meeting,” he said. “I’m not saying anything is wrong with character questions, but I love talking about ball and learning about defense, having that love for the game.

“I’ll actually be glad when all these combine and pro day things are over so I can just focus on getting my game better. If I were to have a workout, we did drops and everything. I love that because it’s more game-specific.”

Click for more coverage from Alan Saunders, Nick Farabaugh and Dan Angell, live from Indianapolis at the 2022 NFL Combine.