Nakobe Dean has given the Las Vegas Raiders an immediate lift at inside linebacker, helping drive the club’s 2-0 start with 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four pressures and two forced fumbles through two games.
Dean’s latest pivotal play came in the fourth quarter of the Raiders’ 17-14 Week 2 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. With Los Angeles facing third-and-2 from its own 28-yard line, Dean slid from the B-gap into the A-gap and met Chargers running back Omarion Hampton at the line of scrimmage. The stop produced no gain and forced a punt.
Later in the closing minutes, Dean knocked the football loose from Hampton, and safety Jeremy Chinn recovered it to help Las Vegas finish the win.
What changed for the franchise
Las Vegas signed Dean to a three-year, $36 million contract during the offseason after his four-year run with the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia drafted the former Georgia standout in the third round in 2022, but injuries limited his availability; he appeared in at least 15 games in only two of his four seasons.
When healthy, Dean was productive for the Eagles, posting 226 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 19 tackles for loss across 47 games, including 27 starts. His strongest NFL season came in 2024, when Philadelphia beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Dean also considered an offer from the Dallas Cowboys after the 2025 season, but chose the Raiders after weighing both opportunities and trusting that Las Vegas was the better fit.
Chinn said Dean has become the defense’s stabilizing presence, noting that an active linebacker in the middle can affect both the pass rush and the secondary.
The Raiders have rebuilt an inside linebacker group that relied heavily on older players on one-year contracts last season. Dean and Quay Walker, both in their prime, have brought more range and versatility to coordinator Rob Leonard’s defense.
Dean has played 120 defensive snaps, or 97% of the team total. He has lined up for 71 snaps at inside linebacker, 12 at defensive tackle and 16 at outside linebacker, giving Leonard flexibility to disguise pressure packages.
That versatility has helped Las Vegas make a fast start up front. The Raiders lead the NFL with eight sacks, rank fifth with 41 pressures and sit first in pressure rate at 50%. Maxx Crosby remains the headliner on the edge, but Dean has supplied important interior pressure, producing three quarterback hits and a 66.7% pressure rate on six pass-rush snaps. Three of his pressures came against the Chargers.
Defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV said the ability of Dean and Walker to win individual matchups and threaten offenses with disguises makes the work easier for the entire front. Blitzes and pressures that reach the quarterback, Booker said, create opportunities for everyone else.
Dean has also strengthened the run defense. He has 11 tackles against the run and two stuffs, while opponents have averaged 3.7 yards per rush with him on the field. That figure rises to 11 yards per attempt when he is off the field.
Las Vegas is allowing 100.5 rushing yards per game, placing 15th in the league, but ranks first in defensive rushing expected points added at 17.71.
Beyond the production, Dean has taken on the responsibility of setting the front and keeping teammates aligned before the snap. His championship background has added credibility to that role. He won the national title with Georgia in 2021 before later earning a Super Bowl ring in Philadelphia.
Crosby praised Dean’s ability to deliver in high-pressure moments, calling him a dependable, hard-playing presence for the Raiders’ defense.
