Last year, whenever anyone wrote an article listing players “most likely to break out,” the name at the top of the list was linebacker Nakobe Dean.
The reasons were understandable. He was a third-round draft pick with tons of athleticism, seen as a steal of a pick at that point in the draft. He had mostly watched from the sidelines in his rookie season and was being handed the starting off-ball linebacker job before training camp opened.
But his “leap” season last year never materialized. He was often exposed in coverage when he was healthy, and was absent most of the season due to a Lisfranc injury that essentially wiped out his sophomore season.