PJ Dean

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-4, 255 lbs. Taller than 54% and heavier than 91% of 2026 Edge Rusher prospects in the SEC Scouts database (169 with a listed size).

Play Style

Dean is a power-first edge defender who plays with the attitude of the offensive lineman he used to be. He gets his hands into the tackle's chest early, extends and reads the play from there. Against the run he is a reliable edge setter who squeezes blocks and makes plays at or behind the line, which explains the 18 TFL. As a pass rusher he walks tackles back with his length and hand strength and finishes by collapsing the pocket, not by running the arc. He is active and alert in coverage for a big man, as the 8 PBUs and the pick-six show. He chases the ball hard and plays through the whistle.

Strengths

• Hand size and strength at the point of attack. His 10.5-inch-plus hands and old O-line technique let him win the first contact against tackles, set a firm edge against the run and shed blocks late in the rep instead of getting washed out.
• Real disruption as a senior, not just a good-looking frame. He finished 2025 with 40 tackles, 18 TFL, 6 sacks, 8 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and a pick-six. The 8 PBUs and the interception show he reads screens and quick game and gets his hands into passing lanes.
• His production already carried over to college. He had 1.5 sacks and 2 tackles in his debut against Tennessee State as a true freshman. Opponent quality aside, freshmen rarely make that kind of early impact in Georgia's front-seven rotation.
• Football IQ and pedigree. Having played offensive line, he understands blocking schemes, pulling guards and how tackles set their feet. His brother came through the same Georgia program, which should help him absorb Glenn Schumann's defense quickly.

Areas to Improve

• Bend and flexibility around the edge. As a converted big man, he wins more with power and hands than by dipping and flattening at the top of the rush. Improving his ankle flexion and hip mobility is the swing factor between 'solid rotational edge' and 'double-digit-sack player'.
• Moving in space as an outside linebacker. Georgia's OLBs drop into curl-flat zones, carry backs out of the backfield and play the option. Dean spent most of his high school career with his hand in the dirt, so his backpedal, zone spacing and change of direction will get tested.
• Building a counter-move plan. High school tackles couldn't handle his long-arm and bull rush. SEC tackles will set against power, so he needs a reliable inside counter and a cross-chop or rip to keep them off balance.

College Projection

Georgia already has him in the two-deep as a true freshman. He is listed with redshirt freshman Chase Linton behind junior starter Quintavius Johnson at OLB, and he has produced early (1.5 sacks vs. Tennessee State). Expect a 2026 role as a rotational run-down and sub-package rusher, with most of his snaps coming in blowouts and early-down situations while he learns his drops. If his bend improves, he projects as a starter or co-starter by 2027 or 2028. If Georgia decides he fits better with his hand down, he could grow to about 270 pounds and play strong-side end or big end, where his power and anchor would be a clear strength.

NFL Outlook

He is a Day 2 prospect with Day 1 upside if he develops as a pass rusher. NFL teams will like his hand size, his production against both run and pass, his youth for the class, his Georgia pedigree and his proven ability to change his body. Whether he goes early depends on developing enough bend and a counter-move plan to be a three-down edge rather than a base-down run defender. A realistic floor is a mid-round strong-side edge setter or 4-3 end with special-teams value. He will likely be draft-eligible after 2028.

Best Fit

Multiple 3-4 and hybrid fronts that ask their OLBs to set the edge first and rush second: Georgia's system, or schemes built by Saban and Smart disciples. His value goes up in a defense that also lets him reduce to a 5-technique or big end on passing downs, where his O-line strength and hands matter most. He is less suited to a wide-9, speed-rush-only scheme that depends on beating tackles with the outside arc.