Eagles’ Nakobe Dean anticipates larger role heading into second season

After he played sparingly behind a pair of veterans during his rookie season, second-year linebacker Nakobe Dean will have a prime opportunity to earn a starting role this summer with the Eagles.

Dean, a third-round pick from the 2022 draft, insists he’s prepared diligently for his moment.”

“I’ve been working to be able to do everything I need for this team, to have us be the greatest defense that we can be,” Dean said Tuesday evening from the Northeast Frankford Boys & Girls Club, where he surprised local students with meals in an effort to address food insecurity in Philadelphia.

”This summer, I’m striving to be the best I can possibly be with my training, the best version of myself.”

He continued: “My goal has always been to help us win games — win big games, win championships, and win Super Bowls. That will always be my main goal.”

Dean boasts championship pedigree dating back to his collegiate days. He was the recipient of the 2021 Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker while he served as a team captain and helped lead the University of Georgia to a national championship that same season.

After he slipped to the Eagles on Day 2 of last year’s draft, Dean spent a majority of his rookie season behind starters T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White on the depth chart. Dean appeared in just 34 defensive snaps (3%), although he played in all 17 games and logged 340 special teams snaps (75%). He finished second behind cornerback Zech McPhearson with seven special teams tackles.

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The free-agency departures of Edwards and White have cleared the way for Dean to take over as a starter. The Eagles also added linebacker Nicholas Morrow, a candidate to start alongside Dean, but at this moment, Dean is a clear-cut favorite to replace the snaps left behind by his predecessors.

Aside from his individual on-field aspirations, Dean is ecstatic to be reunited with a trio of his former Georgia teammates — defensive tackle Jalen Carter, linebacker Nolan Smith, and cornerback Kelee Ringo — all of whom were drafted this past month by the Eagles.

“It feels great having my guys back in Philly with me,” Dean said. “Everybody, we’re all putting the work in. Being able to reunite with brothers that I love. Nolan was actually my roommate when I first got to college. I feel like with me and JD [Jordan Davis] already being here, we’ll be able to help all of them get off on the right foot.”

Back at the Boys & Girls Club in Northeast Philadelphia, Dean reflected on his full-circle moment with this specific organization. As a youth in his native Mississippi, Dean attended similar after-school programs as his mother, Neketta, a single-parent and Army veteran, prioritized his education. Throughout his rookie season, Dean, on his days off, hosted similar weekly food drops across the city.

Now that he’s back with his teammates for the offseason program, Dean is eager to reignite his off-field endeavors that include delivering food supplies to underserved communities.

“What better way to help than go into a community that I was already part of — the Boys & Girls Club,” Dean said. “When I see these kids, I see me. All throughout elementary school, I was in the Boys & Girls Club every single day trying to get put on the right path.

“If I can just reach one of them with my message, it counts and means everything.”

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On Tuesday, the Eagles signed former University of Oklahoma wide receiver Charleston Rambo. The team also waived tackle Jarrid Williams.

Rambo is a former teammate of quarterback Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma. After he went undrafted, Rambo spent 2022 training camp with Carolina Panthers. He most recently played for the Orlando Guardians in the XFL.