Nakobe Dean says his only top-30 visit is with the Detroit Lions

Nakobe Dean is one of the top linebackers in the upcoming draft, but he says he has just one top-30 visit scheduled.

On a long list of prospects from the national title-winning Georgia Bulldogs defense last season, Nakobe Dean is one of the top linebackers in the 2022 draft class and a likely first-round pick. The Detroit Lions will have or have had at least two former Bulldogs’ defenders in for top-30 visits, and Dean is among them.

Concerns about Dean’s lack of size (6-foot, 225 pounds) seems to be impacting his draft stock, to the point he has fallen to the Lions at No. 32 overall in some mock drafts.

That in mind, for whatever it’s worth, Dean is the reigning Butkus Award winner and Pro Football Focus graded him as their No.1 linebacker in the country last year. He was the heart of that Bulldogs’ defense, posting 72 total tackles (10.5 tackles for loss), six sacks and two interceptions.

Nakobe Dean says Lions are his only top-30 visit

Dean said he had a local visit with the Atlanta Falcons. But according to the Athens Banner-Herald, he said the Lions are his only top-30 vist.

“I got one set up with the Detroit Lions, and I think that’s it for me,”  “As far as I know, there are no other visits that have been set up for me.”

Dean suffered a pectoral injury while training for the combine, which which took him out of all or most drills in Indianapolis and at Georgia’s Pro Day. He is expected to run before the draft.

Lest they show their cards and reveal they have interest in him, not having a top-30 visit scheduled with Dean could be an effort at misdirection by several NFL teams. At this point, a visit may not have that much value at the finish line of evaluating him.

Game tape, and previous meetings at the NFL Combine or Georgia’s Pro Day, may be enough for teams to know if they’d draft Dean. So while it’s a headline the Lions are his only top-30 visit, it might not be broadly meaningful to where he’ll be drafted.