Should the Giants have drafted Nakobe Dean?

Should the New York Giants have drafted Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean? During the 2022 NFL Draft, Dean’s free fall was a mystery. A player thought to be a potential late-first or early-second round pick, Dean fell all the way to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 83.

Voters in this week’s ‘SB Nation Reacts’ poll think Philly ended up with the biggest steal in the draft.

After the Giants selected North Carolina guard Joshua Ezeudu and LSU cornerback CorDale Flott in Round 3, Giants GM Joe Schoen was asked about Dean having still been on the board when the Giants took Flott at 81.

“There’s a reason he’s fallen,” Schoen said.

As it turned out, Dean had a pectoral injury that he had declined to have surgery on. The Eagles decided to take the chance after selecting Dean’s Georgia teammate, mountainous defensive tackle Jordan Davis, in Round 1.

Pre-draft, Dean was ranked as the No. 31 overall prospect on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. The Giants, thus, had opportunities at picks 43 (Wan’Dale Robinson), 67 (Ezeudu) and 81 (Flott) to select Dean.

The Giants, obviously, had interest in adding to their linebacking group. They selected Micah McFadden of Indiana at No. 146 and Darrian Beavers of Cincinnati at No. 182.

Dean is a full participant this weekend in the Eagles’ rookie mini-camp.

Will Dean and the Eagles make the Giants regret passing on the Georgia linebacker?