The Las Vegas Raiders signed linebacker Nakobe Dean last week. Let’s get to know him better:
He’s a winner:
Dean won a National Championship at Georgia in the 2021 season. Then, he won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 season. Between the Bulldogs and the Eagles, Dean has gone a lot of winning.
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Two-time Butkus award winner:
Dean is part of an exclusive club. He is one of three players ever to win the Butkus Award (given to the best linebacker in the country) in both high school and in college. The Horn Lake Mississippi native joins Manti Te’o and Jaylon Smith, who spent time with the Raiders, to win the award at both levels. Impressive work.
Injuries a concern:
Dean is a solid player, but there’s no denying he’s dealt with his share of injuries. It was considered one of the reasons why he dropped to the third round in the 2022 draft. He has missed 2 regular-season games in the NFL. He tore his patella tendon in the 2024 playoffs on the way to the Eagles’ Super Bowl win and it caused him to miss a portion of the 2025 season. Dean needs to find some good health in Las Vegas.
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Strong character:
Dean is considered a team leader who was active in the Philadelphia community. So, he will hep on and off the field for the Silver and Black.
He won’t be lonely:
Dean knows some people with the Raiders’ organization. He and now free-agent linebacker signee Quay Walker were at Georgia together was was Raiders’ cornerback Eric Stokes, who re-signed with the team on the same day that Dean and Walker agreed with Las Vegas. Raiders’ star third-year tight end Brock Bowers also overlapped with Dean. Dean was in Philadelphia with Raiders’ new linebackers coach Ronell Williams and some members of the Las Vegas’ front office. All of these relationships probably helped him choose the Raiders over a similar offer from the Dallas Cowboys.
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