FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons underwent a defensive renovation during the 2025 offseason.
The bones of the unit are still intact and structurally sound. Jessie Bates III and A.J. Terrell hold up the back end, while Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata are foundational pieces for the front seven. However, there has been some exterior work done with the additions of players like Leonard Floyd and much of the rookie class, and the Falcons even touched up the interior a little bit.
Enter Divine Deablo, a certified member of the cool-name club and an inside linebacker who is quickly gaining attention in minicamp.
"His athleticism stands out. It's been unique. His length stands out, which has been unique," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "And really him keying and diagnosing behind the ball probably a lot better than we thought, and I'm really fired up to see that."
The 26-year-old linebacker joined Atlanta this offseason after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders. In that time, Deablo, a third-round pick by the Raiders, started 42 of the 54 games in which he appeared; he registered 288 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, six pass defenses, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Deablo transitioned to linebacker in the NFL after playing safety at Virginia Tech, and it's the "unique" length and athleticism Morris mentioned that allowed for a smooth switch. According to MockDraftable, a website that collects measurement and testing data for draft prospects and provides percentiles for comparison, Deablo does indeed have an uncommon blend of qualities.
"I mean, you can see what makes him sick," Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss said. "I think he had probably the best play today in practice — really good tip. Just came in and knocked the ball out, and I broke it up for us. And he's got the length, he's got the speed, he's got the athleticism, and he's got the mentality."
Deablo joins a linebacker room that has some unique pieces already in place. Elliss had a breakout season for Atlanta in 2024, finishing as the only player in the NFL with more than 130 tackles (151) and four sacks (5). Troy Andersen is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and he's shown true flashes of his tantalizing athleticism but has been plagued by injuries. JD Bertrand will enter his second year after seeing a bit of action as a rookie, and Josh Woods is another interior veteran with quality experience.
It's the departure of Nate Landman that likely means the most for Deablo. His consistency the last two seasons earned Landman a substantial role alongside Elliss, but he is now in San Francisco. While Landman was a stout run defender, he had lapses in coverage that opponents could exploit. Deablo's skill set should once again help in that regard.
"I say my height and my speed," Deablo said of his biggest assets. "I feel like I'm very tall, 6-3 and ¾ — usually I say 6-4. And I'm really fast. So, I think my speed for sure."
Atlanta is well primed to put those assets to good use. Deablo enters a situation where there is a clear proof of concept for how he can develop under Morris and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Morris and Ulbrich were part of the Atlanta staff that selected Foye Oluokun, a safety out of Yale at the time, in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Oluokun transitioned to linebacker in the NFL and worked directly under Ulbrich, who was the linebackers coach at the time.
Oluokun quickly found a role for Atlanta's defense before assuming a full-time starting job in 2020 when Morris was made defensive coordinator. That development culminated in a standout 2021 campaign. In his final season with the Falcons, Oluokun led all NFL players with 192 tackles, and he recorded six pass defenses, three interceptions and two sacks.
With Morris and Ulbrich back in the fold, their coaching style is already making an impression.
"Very energetic. They got a lot of energy," Deablo said. "They make sure you come out here ready to work. That's the only thing they want, and that's what we've been doing for them when it comes to defensive philosophy."
Andersen has not been on the practice field during minicamp, so that has allowed Deablo a greater share of the reps to get acclimated. It's also allowed him an opportunity to show what he can do ahead of training camp, when the competition will really intensify.
After playing musical chairs at the inside linebacker spot opposite Elliss for the past couple of seasons, the Falcons would love Deablo to grab a seat at the table.
"I've been really pleased with what he's done, Divine. I've been really pleased with the character, really pleased in how he's fit into our football team," Morris said. "I've been really pleased how our locker room has accepted him and brought him in and really embraced him."
