The answer to a complex question about Nakobe Dean and the Eagles' defense came Sunday against the Vikings. But it might not have been a final answer.
Let's work backward here.
When Nakobe Dean came off Injured Reserve on Oct. 1 and was placed in the 21-day practice window, the Eagles were playing well defensively with rookie first-round pick Jihaad Campell adapting seamlessly to Dean's role as inside linebacker alongside All-Pro Zack Baun. The Eagles were also in a good place with their edge rotation of Jalyx Hunt, Za'Darius Smith and Josh Uche.
The Eagles were 4-0 when Dean returned to practice and there didn't seem to be a role for the same linebacker who last year emerged into a leader and above-average starter on a defense that ended the season with the No. 1 ranking.
It was theorized that Campbell could simply move to the edge, where he started his career at Alabama, to re-open Dean's off-ball spot next to Baun.
But when the Eagles are nickel defense – their most used personnel package – there are only two edge defenders, and it didn't seem feasible that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would take one of his best edge rushers off the field just to move Campbell there so Dean could back on the field.
Besides, Campbell had played well at off-ball linebacker, especially for a rookie. First-round picks who play well don't just switch positions or go to the bench.
But a lot happened between Dean's return to practice and Sunday's Week 7 game against the Vikings to help make that decision easier for Fangio.
Veteran EDGE Za'Darius Smith abruptly retired a day after the Eagles' Thursday night loss to the Giants on Oct. 9, and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari sustained a hamstring injury early in the first quarter against the Vikings.
The Eagles suddenly were in need of edge depth, and pronto. That's where Dean was finally able to get back into the defense, for the first time since tearing his patellar tendon against the Packers in last year's NFC Wild Card win.
The depth issue didn't compel Fangio to make Campbell's move to the edge permanent; Dean played 30 snaps against the Vikings, all but eight coming in base defense, which doesn't take another edge defender off the field but instead subs out the slot cornerback position.
The Vikings played a significant number of two-tight end formations (12 personnel) and formations with a fullback and tight end (21 personnel), causing Fangio to respond with his base 5-2 front.
In those fronts, Campbell played the edge opposite either Hunt or Patrick Johnson with three iDLs (usually Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo) in between. Baun and Dean played the off-ball linebacker spots.
In those eight snaps when Dean played in the nickel, Campbell didn't replace anyone; he came off the field. The plan all along was to get Dean on the field in base situations.
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"Yeah, I just wanted to get Nakobe there in spot duty," Fangio said Tuesday. "The plan was base for Nakobe and you never know how much base you're going to get in a game. Then we played him some in nickel, too, and I think he got about 30 plays, which I think was a good number and the way they came was good too.
"It wasn't like he had 10 in a row, I don't think. I thought he did well, and I think we did the right thing not playing him the week before, even though we technically could have."
What does this mean for Dean and the defense going forward?
The Giants, since moving to Jaxson Dart as quarterback in Week 4, are using a ton of 12 personnel formations. Giants tight ends Theo Johnson (88%) and Daniel Bellinger (68%) each played the majority of offensive snaps Sunday in Denver and also played a boatloads of snaps together against the Eagles, with Johnson (90%) barely coming off the field and Bellinger (57%) also playing more than half the offensive snaps.
It stands to reason that the Eagles will play plenty of base defensive in the rematch Sunday at the Linc, which again should get Dean on the field at off-ball linebacker and Campbell on the edge of a 5-2 front.
Even if recently un-retired EDGE Brandon Graham were to play despite just one week of practice, his snaps would likely be limited to situational pass rushing.
Fangio said Campbell met expectations in the edge snaps he played against the Vikings.
"I think he performed basically like I thought he would," Fangio said. "It's new out there. Particularly, the packages he was going up there earlier were different than this week, this past game. So there's a lot to learn. There's a lot to get comfortable with. The more he's up there, the better he'll get at it."
The bigger question is what will happen with Dean and Campbell after the bye week, when Nolan Smith returns and Graham has more practices under his belt, and with Ojulari perhaps back from his hamstring injury.
Smith, Graham and Jalyx Hunt are all very good run defenders run from the edge, which would lessen Fangio's need to use Campbell in the 5-2 front and therefore potentially make it difficult to get Dean on the field.
The Eagles won't have to worry about that for a few weeks. For now, Dean's role in base appears secure.
Interestingly, the Vikings passed the ball 19 times when Dean was on the field, but that's not to suggest that they were targeting him. Most of Carson Wentz's throws were outside the numbers.
Dean's strength is being able to key and diagnose against the run, and get downhill fast enough to avoid oncoming blocks from offensive linemen. He's not a big thumper linebacker, so it's vital that he maneuvers around blocks using instincts and angles instead of trying to defeat them.
There was surely some examples of Dean looking like his 2024 version against the Vikings:
There you saw Dean diagnosing the run and communicating before the snap, then getting a quick shuffle to his right to get his momentum going toward the play side before he made the tackle.
This next one is even better:
On that run stop, Dean showed his trade fast, downhill pursuit to the ball carrier, finding the open bubble on an outside zone to drop Xavier Scott in the backfield for a 4-yard loss.
Now that there's tape on Dean playing in the base defense, we'll see if the Giants try to go after him in the pass game.
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