Not even the rain could dampen the mood.
As Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean neared the Eagles’ indoor practice facility, the two former and current teammates walked side-by-side with matching smiles. When Davis got within earshot of the bubble, he grew a grin and began to belt out the chorus of Kanye West’s “All Falls Down,” which was blaring from inside.
What a moment. What a vibe.
The Eagles in a two-day span last week drafted a couple of the best players from an all-time great college defense. On Friday at rookie camp, Davis and Dean took the field together for the first time as Eagles.
And neither of them can believe it’s happening.
The Eagles traded up to draft Davis out of Georgia with the No. 13 overall pick and after the Eagles used No. 51 on center Cam Jurgens, there was no way Dean would join him, right? No way the most dominant college linebacker from the most dominant college defense was going to last into the third round. No way he would be there at 83.
But he was. Medical concerns — real or not — caused the slip.
So when the Eagles turned in their card at 83 and Davis watched the announcement that Dean was an Eagle too, he couldn’t believe it.
“It was crazy,” Davis said. “I was like, ‘Is it real?’ I wasn’t really banking on having someone from UGA come with me but now that ‘Kobe is here, I feel a lot more settled in and comfortable.”
Davis and Dean are close but they’re different. Dean (5-11, 229) was the captain and field general for the Bulldogs. He’s the extremely bright engineering major who is still contemplating going pre-med and wants to one day create prosthetics. In Philly, Dean is “all ball” as Nick Sirianni said, but he’s in his shell a little more.
Not Davis. He’s every bit of the Jolly Green Giant. The 6-6, 343-pound defensive tackle and self-proclaimed mama’s boy is always wearing a huge grin. He’s affable and friendly and he’s going to have no problem making friends.
That’s going to help him and Dean fit in.
“I feel like it’s going to help me from the standpoint of just getting more comfortable,” Dean said. “He’s such an easy-going guy that can get comfortable with people fast. I feel like if I see how how interacts with everybody, me being able to get more comfortable, me being able to get more connected with the team.”
Davis is just 22 years old and Dean is still just 21. And moving to an unknown city to begin your NFL career can be overwhelming. But having these two together really should help on and off the field.
On Friday, Davis said it was “amazing” having Dean to go through this process with him.
“Having ‘Kobe here is a huge burden off my shoulders,” he said.
Of course, the camaraderie is just an added bonus. The Eagles drafted these two Bulldogs because they can play. They were two of the stars on that vaunted Georgia defense, two of the players on a team with a bunch of draft picks that really stood out.
Sirianni has previously explained his role in scouting defensive players. The former receiver and offensive coordinator says his job is to look at defensive players and give Howie Roseman and the scouting department the offensive perspective. How difficult would that player make life on him and his offensive coaches?
So what did he tell them about the duo from Georgia?
“Good luck blocking Jordan,” Sirianni said. “He’s pretty big. He can push the pocket. He can eat up double teams where they can't get back to the linebackers. With Nakobe, he has great instincts and he's all over the field. He's where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there, and you have to account for that as an offense.”
But the Eagles offense will only have to worry about Davis and Dean in training camp. Then the Eagles can unleash them on the rest of the NFL.
As amazing as it is, and as hard as it is to believe, Davis and Dean are teammates again in Philly. Smiles all around.
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