Dallas Cowboys’ Prospect Spotlight: LB Nakobe Dean

Nakobe Dean’s Fit with the Cowboys

Currently, the All-American projects to be a weak-side linebacker (or WILL) in the NFL. Some Cowboys fans may be a bit uneasy about taking a WILL linebacker early when Parsons is already playing there. However, this could actually make things even better.

Generally, the strong-side linebacker (or SAM) is tasked with tackling the running back and lining up on the side with the most offensive personnel. One thing we know as a fact is that Parsons and Dean are both very good and stopping the run. Luckily for Dan Quinn, Parsons is good at literally everything, so it doesn’t matter if Dean is limited to playing the WILL.

This would add more versatility as Micah can be unleashed to play anywhere rather than just playing the WILL. He showed last season he can move to the SAM, or come off the edge, which can help ease the loss of Randy Gregory next season.

Nakobe Dean’s Draft Projection

About a month away from the draft, it is looking like Dean could fall anywhere in the second half of the first round. There are some teams before the Cowboys with needs at linebacker, most notably the Philadelphia Eagles who pick three times in the top 20. If there is any major threat to Dean not falling to the Cowboys, it would be their NFC East foe.

If the Eagles pass up on the Georgia star, linebacker isn’t a glaring need for any of the rest of the teams picking before America’s team. I imagine in the scenario of best-player available, Dean would be one of Will McClay and the Jones’s top options at 24. This would be a garner a ton of excitement from Cowboy fans.