Range: Dean’s range can be a little bit tough to judge at times thanks to his role in the UGA defense. I think his instincts allow him to make plays outside the tackle box fairly well, but his natural speed to get sideline to sideline does seem to have some limitations.
Processing Speed: Dean is one of the better processors at the position we have in this class. He’s quick to diagnose what offenses are doing and get downhill to make plays in the backfield. He’s also a pretty decent processor in zone coverage.
Coverage Ability: Dean is what I’d call functional in coverage. I don’t think I want him flipping his hips and running downfield a ton, nor do I expect him to close down a ton of windows in deep zone coverage. However, he’s perfectly fine in the short areas of the field in both man and zone thanks to his high motor and football IQ. Length may also be a limiting factor for him in this area.
Motor/Effort: I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Dean’s motor. He plays a ton of snaps, is constantly dealing with contact, and never takes a play off.
Tackling: Dean is a powerful and consistent tackler at all three levels of the field. I’d even wager he made major improvements as the season went on. He missed a couple against Clemson but came back strong the rest of the season. He’s a smaller player but still packs a punch and arrives at the contact point balanced and controlled.
Block Shedding: Dean is one of the best linebackers in this class at slipping around contact. He’s got impressive bend in his hips and shoulder, explosiveness to beat offensive lineman to spots, and a good understanding of reducing his surface area. He can take on contact and disengage too, but his size puts some limitations on his ability there.
Blitzing/ Pass Rush: This was an area I was pleasantly surprised with. Dean is an effective downfield blitzer thanks to his burst and propensity for getting skinny through gaps. He’s also a pretty tackler once he gets into the backfield.
Run Defense: Dean is an above-average run defender. He’s great at snaking his way through blocks to make tackles both past the line of scrimmage and behind it. He does a great job reading run keys and getting downhill as well. He makes most of his best plays inside the tackle box, so he’s a tad limited when dealing with true speed.
Toughness/ Power POA: Dean is a smaller player, but you would never know it based on the way he plays. He’s great at avoiding contact, but he’s got no problem taking it on too. He absorbed some massive hits and stood on his feet throughout his film.
Versatility: Dean projects best to two spots. He could serve as a WILL in a 4-3 scheme or as a MIKE in either 3-4 or 4-3. Personally, I like him as a MIKE, but either spot would do him justice.
Summary: Dean is a tricky evaluation. He’s a size outlier with both his height and length being under the typical threshold. If you turn on the tape, you rarely see either problem affect him while playing in the SEC. He’s so smart, tough, and relentless, that he just ends up making plays despite his size concerns.
He checks pretty much every box as both a run defender and blitzer, but I don’t love him in coverage, and I wish he ran at the combine because his speed/range can be a little hit or miss at times. Either way, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear his name called on day-one of April’s draft.
Filed By: Dante Collinelli, Director of Scouting
Twitter: @DanteCollinelli