Does Nakobe Dean even belong on the most important Eagles list?

Based on the five Eagles practices open to reporters this spring, Nakobe Dean shouldn’t even be on this list. In those practices, it was Zack Baun playing next to Devin White as the two off-ball linebackers on the first-team defense.

Dean was dropped to second team, at least a hint that he won’t be awarded a starting role under new defensive coordinator Vic Fango.

But it would be a great shame is Dean isn’t able to wrestle away the starting job. After all, he’s still just 23 and a few years ago was regarded to be one of the best steals of the 2022 draft after captaining the Georgia Bulldogs to a National Championship.

As a rookie in 2022, Dean virtually had a redshirt season on defense as the Eagles played T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White ahead of him.

Last season was supposed to be Dean’s year but he played in just five games during an injury-plagued season and was just coming back from those ailments at spring workouts.

It was evident at the Eagles’ year-end press conference that Dean was still in their plans, at least according to general manager Howie Roseman.

“I have a lot of belief, and I know Coach (Nick Sirianni) does, as well, in Nakobe Dean,” Roseman said in January. “I believe in the player. I believe in the person.

“We lost two linebackers at that spot, two good players from our Super Bowl team and we had Nakobe waiting in the wings. We drafted him for that role. Obviously, it didn’t work out flawlessly for him this year. That doesn’t change the belief we have in the player.”

While the Eagles signed White to a one-year contract, it’s not like their previous decisions suggested that they’re writing off Dean.

They signed Baun as a hybrid off-ball/edge rusher and then used a fifth-round pick on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Perhaps one of those guys could bump Dean but he should receive the first opportunity at a starting job in Year 3 of his career.

Dean has been characterized by some as “injury prone” based on what occurred to him last season but Dean stated those were the first big injuries of his career.

Despite his diminutive physique (5-11, 231), Dean managed to be pretty durable during his time playing in the SEC. Of course, those size issues and injury worries were there when he lasted into the third round a few years ago.

If nothing else, it doesn’t appear like the Eagles are banking on Dean to be their top linebacker as they were coming into the 2023 season.

That task is reserved for White, who will probably wear the green dot in this defense. Although, linebackers coach Bobby King noted the two linebacker spots are, by design, interchangeable in this scheme.

It wasn’t that long ago that Eagles supporters were extremely enthused about Dean. One redshirt season and one injury-plagued season, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case anymore. Has he noticed that?

“I don’t know,” Dean remarked this spring. “I ain’t really been listening to them. If they have, then it is what it is. I know I’ve been out so sight, out of mind because of the injury. I’m here now.”