Divine Deablo Shines in Falcons Debut Despite Week 1 Loss to Buccaneers

ATLANTA, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons faltered down the stretch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, allowing Baker Mayfield to drive for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:04 remaining. The 25-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka reclaimed a lead for Tampa that they would never relinquish, and it soured what was otherwise a solid performance from a new-look Falcons defense.

Five new starters and several more role players litter a defense that held Tampa Bay to just 260 yards on the day. Despite the inauspicious finish to the game, the Falcons are already seeing a return on investment from one of their unsung additions in Divine Deablo.

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The newly added linebacker signed a $14 million contract in March after posting 106 tackles for the Raiders last season. The front office saw some of the potential that the Falcons players and staff raved about all summer. They routinely cited his incredible athletic ability, defensive intelligence, and length.

“From the jump, when he got here, you could tell he’s a great athlete,” Kaden Elliss said about Deablo during camp. “Coach calls him 'the avatar,' like he has long limbs, he’s fast, and he can cover. He played safety, and he’s a special, special athlete.”

Head coach Raheem Morris agreed with that assessment, jokingly adding that Deablo reminded him of the tube men that you see outside of car dealerships. He measured at 6-foot-3 and ¼” inch coming out of Virginia Tech with 33” arms. By comparison, offensive tackle Jake Matthews had 33 ⅓” arms.

“Speed and physicality,” Deablo explained about what he adds to the makeup of this new-look defense. “I think that's my two main goals this year, just keep bringing the speed and be everywhere.”

On Sunday, the former third-round pick delivered on those goals, and the public got its first look at what he could potentially add to this Jeff Ulbrich defense this season.

He was active in run defense with a tackle for loss, tied for the team lead with six tackles, picked up a half-sack, added another quarterback hit on four quarterback pressures, and was effective in coverage, nearly picking up an interception in this game and delivering a key pass breakup on Mike Evans to prevent a big gain.

In other words, Deablo was all over the field.

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“He did such a nice job in those things, whether it’s run fits or in the passing game,” head coach Raheem Morris said. “He definitely affected the passer when he had the chance to rush in there, and he did some really good things. So, he’s as advertised, and he did a nice job for us today.”

The Ulbrich style of defense is built on speed, physicality, and making quick decisions. This is especially true of its linebackers. On Sunday, the converted safety showed his physical prowess and jack-of-all-trades ability at every turn.

The final score might sting, but if Week 1 is any indication, Divine Deablo is already proving to be one of the Falcons’ most valuable offseason investments