15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami Dolphins): Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
The Philadelphia Eagles will be the team we hear from more than any other in the opening round of the 2022 NFL Draft. They own back-to-back picks at No. 15 and No. 16 — both added through trades. No. 15 was picked up when they moved down in the previous draft with the Miami Dolphins and No. 16 was courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts who took Carson Wentz off the Eagles’ hands.
They’ll be back with their own selection at No. 19 but for now, we start with their first choice which they use on Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean. A sideline-to-sideline playmaker, Dean recorded 143 tackles over the past two seasons for the Bulldogs ‚— and in 2021, he added six sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
He also became a household name during Georgia’s title run as he stood out as one of the better defenders on the best defense in the nation.
While the Eagles had a solid run defense last year, they were still just middle of the pack overall. Adding a player such as Dean will help improve that and with two more picks coming up shortly, this franchise could be heading in the right direction quicker than expected.