Solid Starter
Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia – Round 3 
The Eagles landed a steal in the third round with Dean, who could easily turn out as a boom pick. Over the few months before the 2022 NFL Draft, Dean was trending in the wrong direction and his draft stock was losing momentum. He was dealing with injury during the spring, which kept him from running at the combine. He also was said to run slow anyway, and while he worked out at the Georgia pro day, team sources said the workout was not impressive because he wasn’t in good shape. There was some speculation that Dean might need pectoral surgery that could reduce or cost him rookie season.
Dean is undersized at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, and his history of injuries had pro teams concerned about his durability at the next level. Sources from one NFL team shared with WalterFootball.com that their scouts were high on Dean, but he was lowered on their board after the coaches got involved. Dean’s size and injury history were the big concerns for thosee coaches and others across the league. All of those factors combined to force Dean to fall lower than expected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The NFL plays a passing-driven game, and Dean is a linebacker with the size, speed, and athleticism to serve as a three-down starter. What Dean does best is blitz the quarterback, and he is phenomenal at it. Dean shows tremendous timing, vision, and anticipation on when to fire into the backfield. He comes downhill in a hurry to catch quarterbacks by surprise and can often catch them off guard. Pro offensive lines will probably diminish Dean’s remarkable blitzing compared to the college lines he exploited, but Dean still has the ability to make impactful plays as a blitzer.
At Georgia, Dean showed the speed and athleticism to defend backs, tight ends, and receivers in the middle of the field. He has some ball skills to pick off passes or slap them away. He can cover ground in zone and get depth when he drops in coverage. Like all college players, Dean will need some development at guarding tight ends and backs in man coverage, but he has the potential to grow into that role for the NFL.
Against the run, Dean has the quickness to defend the perimeter. He is a quality tackler, but he isn’t a true force and his instincts are inconsistent. Sometimes, his instincts are phenomenal, yet at other times he falls quiet, which is reflected in his underwhelming tackle totals from the past two seasons. Dean isn’t overly physical, but he has the athleticism and speed to chase down backs. For the NFL, he’ll need to improve at taking on and shedding blocks.
The Eagles were a great landing spot because Dean can compete immediately for a starting position. They signed Kyzir White in free agency, but Dean should compete immediately with T.J. Edwards to be the starting middle linebacker. Once healthy, Dean should win the starting job and be a centerpiece of the Philadelphia defense. Dean has excellent instincts, and there is no doubt that he is a good football player that is very capable in coverage and as a run defender. Beyond his on-field talent, Dean is know to be a team leader, hard worker, and a player who loves football. The key to Dean panning out in the NFL will be staying healthy and on the field. That remains to be seen, but if he manages to avoid injuries, Dean could be a massive steal for the Eagles as a third-round pick and should be a solid starter as long as he stays on the field.
2020: Davion Taylor, LB
2019: Miles Sanders, RB
2018: Avonte Maddox, CB
2017: Derek Barnett, DE
2016: Isaac Seumalo, C
2015: Nelson Agholor, WR
2014: Marcus Smith, OLB
2013: Zach Ertz, TE
Most Likely To Bust
NONE The Eagles had four picks in the first three rounds, and after the A.J. Brown trade, they ended up with three selections. I don’t believe any of their three draft picks will be a bust. Jordan Davis could be one of the best nose tackles in the NFL early in his career. Second-round pick Nebraska center Cam Jurgens could be a solid starer, and third-round pick Nakobe Dean was a star linebacker for Georgia and is a very good player. Hence, I don’t see any of those selections as likely to bust. After Dean, the Eagles did not pick again until the sixth round, and since the vast majority of late-round picks don’t stick in the NFL, a player not working out can’t be a a real bust of an investment.
2021: Milton Williams, DT
2020: Jalen Hurts, QB
2019: Shareef Miller, DE
2018: Josh Sweat, DE
2017: Rasul Douglas, CB
2016: Wendall Smallwood, RB
2015: Jordan Hicks, LB
2014: Josh Huff, WR
2013: Bennie Logan, DT
Potential Boom Pick
Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia – Round 1 The Eagles and Ravens were both said to covet Davis, and I went back-and-forth between projecting Davis to Philadelphia or Baltimore in my mocks. The Ravens were ahead of the Eagles, so I didn’t have Baltimore passing on Davis in my final mock draft, but once the draft started Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman pulled off a trade to jump past the Ravens to land Davis. Immediately, the massive Davis will improve the Eagles’ run defense and free up their linebackers and edge rushers.
Davis (6-6, 340) is a true asset in the ground game. He is impossible to move at the point of attack and has a strong anchor. He holds his ground well, and offensive linemen are unable to get any kind of push on Davis. His lateral anchor is good as well. He can regularly use his strength and size to clog up the middle. Davis on the inside rarely left Georgia with a hole open in its interior line. He creates a wall and leads to a lot of run stuffs that provide good down-and-distance situations. He also has the speed and athleticism to flow to the ball and get in on tackles outside of his gap. Maintaining leverage and his conditioning will be points of emphasis during his pro career. Still, Davis should be one of the best run-defending nose tackles early in his NFL career.
In the passing-driven NFL, an every-down nose tackle has to have the ability to contribute in the rush to be a first-round pick, and Davis has that, as he can bull his blocker back into the pocket to deny a quarterback the space to step up in the pocket. Davis is not a pass rusher, and he won’t notche many sacks in the NFL. He will, however, help eat up space in the pocket and also can eat up two interior blockers to create a one-on-one opportunity for an interior rusher next to him.
As a rookie, Davis can rotate with veterans Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave to keep them fresh. The Eagles will probably move on from Cox after 2022, allowing Davis to step into a starting role. After some development as a pass rusher, Davis has real boom-pick potential for Philadelphia with his massive skill set and upside.
2021: DeVonta Smith, WR
2020: Jalen Reagor, WR
2019: Andre Dillard, OT
2018: Dallas Goedert, TE
2017: Sidney Jones, CB
2016: Carson Wentz, QB
2015: Eric Rowe, CB
2014: Jordan Matthews, WR
2013: Lane Johnson, OT
Future Depth Player
Grant Calcaterra, TE, SMU – Round 6 
Calcaterra flashed receiving ability at Oklahoma and then at SMU during his college career. While he is undersized, he is a quick tight end who is shifty as a route runner and possesses some athleticism. After trading away Zach Ertz, Philadelphia could use some tight end depth, and Calcaterra could be a nice rotational F – movement – tight end to team with Dallas Goedert. While Calcaterra lacks the size and blocking ability to be a three-down starter in the NFL, he could be a solid rotational tight end who contributes as a backup.
2021: Kenny Gainwell, RB
2020: John Hightower, WR
2019: Clayton Thorson, QB
2018: Matt Pryor, OT
2017: Donnel Pumphrey, RB
2016: Alex McCalister, LB
2015: JaCorey Shepherd, CB
2014: Jaylen Watkins, CB
2013: Matt Barkley, QB
Walt’s 2022 NFL Draft Grades:
13. Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia – A- Grade
The Vikings-Lions trade was shocking. The Eagles-Texans trade is not. This is the least-surprising move of the 2022 NFL Draft. It was rumored that the Ravens loved Jordan Davis, but the Eagles felt the same way about him. The Eagles envision the 350-pound athletic marvel to be a good replacement for Fletcher Cox, so he’s not going to just play two downs. His weight is a concern, but the upside is as big as Davis.
51. Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska – B Grade
The Eagles lost Brandon Brooks to retirement this offseason, so they needed another interior lineman. Philadelphia fans will be upset this pick wasn’t used on a linebacker, but Jurgens is a solid player who fills a need.
83. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia – A+ Grade
The Eagles are having an amazing draft weekend. Their latest pick has just made things even better. Nakobe Dean is a first-round prospect who has fallen because of some injury concerns. Those apparently included a pec strain, but seriously, who cares about that? This is a mega steal. Unless Dean has Ebola or something, this pick must be graded as an A+, as Dean easily slots in and upgrades a horrible linebacking corps.
181. Kyron Johnson, LB, Kansas – C Grade
I don’t know why the Eagles traded up for Kyron Johnson when they could’ve obtained him or a similar player at their natural spot. Still, Eagles fans won’t be too upset about another linebacker, given the huge need.
198. Grant Calcaterra, TE, SMU – B Grade
Grant Calcaterra is a major injury risk. He actually had to retire for a season because of concussion issues. He could be a big producer if he sticks around in the NFL, but one more head injury could be curtains for him.
2022 NFL Draft Team Grade: A+. Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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