Raiders defense 2024: It’s in Divine Deablo’s best interest to make a leap this season

Linebacker is in contract year and a solid season can not only help Las Vegas, but defender’s next deal

In terms of physical build and athleticism, Divine Deablo is the type of linebacker you’d see coming out of a lab or a Skynet factory line from the Terminator movie franchise.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds with 4.42 40-yard dash timed speed coming out of Virginia Tech, the Las Vegas Raiders fourth-year defender certainly looks every bit as fast but certainly bigger than that. Deablo even earned the moniker “Big Swole” from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham after the 80th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft religiously worked out and arrived to the Raiders’ 2023 offseason program bulked up. Even with the added muscle, Deablo was every bit as quick as he was as a safety in college.

And it’s no surprise to hear Deablo’s teammates speak highly of the “freakish” nature the linebacker brings to the table.

“Divine is a freak,” edge rusher Maxx Crosby said during an episode of his “The Rush” podcast two week ago. “He was a safety in college. Some people don’t know. He was literally a safety and then he moved to linebacker. He reminds me build-wise and speed and things like that of (Isaiah) Simmons from the (New York) Giants. A freak athlete and he’s only getting better. Divine could be a (Pro Bowl player) 100 percent. People don’t realize how good that kid could be.”

Crosby believes Deablo can hit another level of effectiveness as the sky’s the limit for the 25-year-old. And it’d be in Deablo’s best interest to elevate his game even more. A more effective 2024 season not only helps the Raiders, but can parlay into a heftier pay day for Deablo, who is in a contract year after being taken in the third round by Las Vegas in 2021.

After starting and playing in 15 games last season, Deablo finished second on the team in total tackles with 106 (tied second in solo tackles with 65 — along with safety Tre’Von Moehrig), to go along with one sack, two passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. He heads into the 2024 campaign primed again to a be starting linebacker on the Raiders defense and eager to stack another productive year on his resume. Deablo increased his stat sheet production ever year he’s been in the league. And improved numbers in the tackles, sacks, pass deflections, and takeaways department will help Las Vegas’ defense ascend to new heights.

Robert Spillane, a free-agent addition last offseason who had a tremendous across-the-board stellar season (led team in total tackles with 148, solo stops with 82, 3.5 sacks, tied for team-lead in interceptions with three), was lined up next to Deablo for much of last season and is a big believer just like Crosby.

“Divine is a real special player in terms of his eyes, abilities, and speed,” Spillane began on Deablo. “His athleticism, strength, and contact power — so in terms of his game, he’s got it all. I know he’s been putting int he work this offseason to make it all come together, and I’m very excited to see his improvements this year. I know he’s been working tirelessly.

“To see a 6-foot-4, 240-pound off-ball linebacker who can run a 4.4 and hunt you down, it’s like, that dude is a scary dude and he’s going to show that. He can be a playmaker as well as a top-tier linebacker so, I’m excited to see him in both coverage and in the run.”

The flashes of being a hunter-killer type linebacker are most definitely there. When his vision is in sync with his anticipation, the read and react speed along with his athleticism make Deablo a terror to block. Take a look below:

But, to maximize the coin he’ll see on his next contract — be it with the Raiders or another NFL team — Deablo needs to become an impact defender like Spillane did in his initial season as a Raider. It’s a plausible ascension, too. The 28-year-old Spillane came into his own in Las Vegas starting all 17 games and becoming a leader in Graham’s defense. Before that, Spillane was a spot starter that had never broken the 100-tackle plateau.

With Spillane alongside him, Deablo can take his game to the next level. And there’s one area in particular that can use some shoring up: Pass coverage.

As mentioned above, Deablo was a safety while at Virginia Tech. His most productive season in the defensive backfield was his senior year in 2020 where intercepted four passes. In total he finished with six interceptions and 11 pass deflections in college.

But at his size and speed, the move to linebacker occurred and while yes, his responsibilities at the second level of the defense are vastly different than what a safety does, Deablo did come with the agility and speed that should’ve made him a cover linebacker. Coverage tends to be forgiven for linebackers, but in Deablo’s case, his background as a defensive back doesn’t provide the same leniency.

It remains an area of opportunity. See below:

The same vision, anticipation, and quick read and react skills just aren’t present when tasked with covering a tight end for Deablo. That of course can be remedied with being dedicated to the film room and in-game snaps. For reference: Deablo was charted by Pro Football Reference with 49 total targets. Of those, 38 passes were completed (77.6 percent) for 289 yards and two touchdowns with opposing quarterbacks sporting a 104.8 passer rating going Deablo’s way. Spillane was targeted 55 times for 40 completions (72.7 percent), for 410 yards and two touchdowns. However, the trio of interceptions had quarterbacks showcasing an 83.1 passer rating throwing at Spillane.

Becoming a quality coverage linebacker along with his tackling-machine nature will make Deablo the type of linebacker both Crosby and Spillane believe he can be.

Spillane is impressed with Deablo stepping up in the huddle and practices for the Raiders this offseason. And that should parlay itself to on-field success, too.

“To watch him step up as a leader, he’s a do-it-by-example you know?,” Spillane said. “I’m excited to see him take the next step of leadership and talk to the guys around him, find out what his D-linemen like, what his other guys around him, what his safeties are doing behind him. I’m excited to see him really be a top player for us.”