"When the Atlanta Falcons made linebacker Divine Deablo their first free-agent signing of the offseason, it likely came as a surprise to many, given that Deablo was and is a relative unknown at the time. Even now, with the 2025 NFL season upon us, little information has been gleaned in the months since about why Deablo was the Falcons' priority signing."
"Like Andersen, Deablo didn't begin his college career as a linebacker. He spent four years at Virginia Tech playing safety before the Las Vegas Raiders converted him to linebacker in the NFL. The Falcons expect those former safety chops to translate into "plus" coverage ability. However, Deablo didn't necessarily shine there during his four seasons with the Raiders, as they primarily played zone coverage."
"That same speed could serve as an asset in the Falcons' "attacking" front, which will ask its linebackers to be more aggressive by playing downhill, shooting gaps, and generating tackles for loss. Deablo has the potential to excel in that area, coming off a season where he ranked sixth in the NFL with a run-stop rate of 73 percent according to FTN Fantasy."
Divine Deablo joined the Falcons as the first free-agent signing despite relative anonymity. Deablo played four years at Virginia Tech as a safety before the Las Vegas Raiders converted him to linebacker, and the Falcons expect those safety traits to produce plus coverage ability. Limited production in a zone-heavy Raiders scheme masked coverage upside, while speed and athleticism suggest untapped potential. The Falcons plan to employ an attacking front that asks linebackers to play downhill, shoot gaps, and create tackles for loss. Deablo posted a 73 percent run-stop rate, ranking sixth in the NFL, aligning with the team's run-first and coverage-hybrid hopes.
Read at The Falcoholic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]