What the Minnesota Vikings do at No. 12 in the 2022 NFL Draft is anyone’s guess. They sit comfortably in the middle but not quite near the top. There are several needs that they will have to address at some point in the draft, and there’s a lot of talk that the Vikings will attack by taking a cornerback early.
If they opt to go a different route, linebacker Nakobe Dean out of Georgia could be an impact player for the next 10 years in purple and gold.
Dean was the pulse of a Georgia defense in 2021 that will go down as one of the historically great units in college football history. Dean flew around the field like he was shot out of a cannon, constantly making massive plays for the Bulldogs. There are questions about him being slightly undersized at the position, but nobody questions Dean’s motor.
The Vikings signed Jordan Hicks to a short-team deal this offseason, and it has alleviated some of the pressure to pair Eric Kendricks with a solid sidekick. Still, the Vikings could look long-term in the draft, making Dean an option.
Dean improved in each of his three years at Georgia, and he put on quite the final act in his last year in Athens.
The dynamic linebacker piled up 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks. Dean even chipped in with two interceptions, including one he took back to the house against Florida. No matter how the pie is sliced, nobody can argue that Dean lacks a knack for making big plays in big moments. He constantly has his nose around the football. Pairing him with Kendricks while allowing him to get settled during his rookie year with Hicks in the fold would be a perfect scenario for the Vikings. It would make preparing for the Vikings’ defense a disaster for opposing teams.
However, Minnesota’s draft spot makes things interesting.
Dean is projected to go in the first round but in the latter stages. Of course, projections don’t always manifest, and another team may draft Dean earlier than the consensus. Still, there could be an opportunity for the Vikings to trade back a few slots, add some more draft capital, and still select Dean. Obviously, there’s a risk with that, but the Vikings would have more than one player in mind in a trade-back scenario.
If it were to play out this way, Minnesota’s ability to gain more picks either for 2022 or in the future while also scooping up Dean in the first round feels like highway robbery.
When looking around the landscape of draft profiling, it’s hard to find anyone with anything significantly negative to say about Dean.
“Explosive, three-down linebacker with the demeanor and quickness to become a volume tackler while holding down third-down duties at a high level. Dean’s play recognition is a work in progress, which limits reaction time and forces him to deal with more blockers than he’ll see as he gains more experience. Quick feet and plus agility will bring him to ball-carriers at a high rate but a lack of size and length means he’ll need to fine-tune his approach as a tackler to make sure he finishes what he starts. He might lack measurables, but he has the toughness and technique to see a boost in his performance once his play becomes more proactive.” – Lance Zierlein NFL.com
“Starting Dean’s scouting report anywhere other than his football intelligence would be a grave error. To be truly successful at the linebacker position, you have to have a high level of intelligence. It is, after all, dubbed as being the quarterback of the defense. Dean demonstrates intelligence in multiple facets. He handles the play calls, communicating defensive shifts to his teammates. Unsurprisingly, he’s been a permanent team captain.
Dean reads the game to an exceptionally high level. Watching him diagnose the run game is a joy to behold. He’s adept at understanding multiple run concepts and — as we’ll get to shortly — has the athletic ability to quickly act upon what he sees. He works through traffic well to locate the ball carrier and make a play.” – Pro Football Network
Minnesota may have positions that the fanbase wants them to take care of in swift order, and that’s perfectly fine. But the reality is that often teams will still go with the best available player on their board early on. At No. 12, the Vikings may have an array of options that are high up on their board. Whether they stand firm at that spot or not, Nakobe Dean needs to be a serious candidate. He could put a huge stamp on the Vikings’ defense for the next decade. He’s that good. And who wouldn’t want to find the perfect tag-team partner for Eric Kendricks? Dean could be the man.
