The Philadelphia Eagles defense has been steadily improving throughout the season. The unit has gone from a question mark to a strength. The improved play from the secondary and pass rush have been documented. However, the linebackers have also turned a corner. In particular, Nakobe Dean has played a lot better after a slow start to his career. Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun have made linebacker, long a weakness on the Eagles defense, a position of strength for the Eagles.
Nakobe Dean Living Up to the Hype
Nakobe Dean was a highly touted prospect coming out of Georgia, who fell to the third round due to concerns over injuries and his lack of size. However, Dean played a limited role in the first two years. This season, he is finally turning the corner after winning a starting spot. Dean’s 60 total tackles and 37 solo tackles are more than he had in his first two seasons combined. He has been particularly impressive since the bye week, racking up two sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception. His interception sealed the game for the Eagles against Jacksonville last Sunday.
Dean has formed a dynamic partnership with free agent signing Zack Baun. While Baun has been playing well all season, but finding a reliable partner in Dean has elevated his game. They compliment each other very well. Dean is great in coverage, using his sideline to sideline athleticism, while Baun is good against the run and is a fantastic blitzer. Despite his smaller stature, Dean can also make plays against the run due to his athletic ability. His seven tackles for loss speak to that ability. The Eagles have not had a linebacker duo as good as Baun and Dean in a long time.
Making a Weakness a Strength
Linebacker has long been a problem area for the Eagles, even when they played well. General Manager Howie Roseman has long viewed linebacker as a low value position, and has not used a lot of resources to address it. He tries to find cheap veterans and later round picks to fill the position, while using premium assets to address other areas. Roseman has never used a first-round pick on a linebacker. In the past, this has made the position a weakness. However, the Eagles have gotten high-end play from Dean, who was a third-round pick, and Baun, who was a cheap free-agent signing.
These two players have fixed the Eagles linebacker woes this season. Dean’s emergence over the past few weeks has taken things to a whole new level. The Eagles now have a defense with playmakers at all three levels, which they have not had in a long time. Nakobe Dean’s improved play makes life easier for everyone on the defense. The defensive line now has more confidence that the linebackers will make tackles behind them. The secondary does not have to worry about a weak link. It makes the unit better as a whole. Without Nakobe Dean emerging as a legitimate starting linebacker, this defensive turnaround under Vic Fangio does not happen.
Main Image: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports
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