Las Vegas Raiders third-year linebacker Divine Deablo, a converted safety, has been given the "green dot" on his helmet as the defensive signal-caller. Deablo played in just eight games last year due to a broken right arm that he suffered in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9, but his 74 tackles at the time of his season-ending injury led the team and were tied for eighth-most in the NFL at the time. "Honestly, it makes myself proud because when I was younger I played quarterback," said Deablo, who has noticeably bulked up. "So now, being the green dot is like quarterback of the defense, so it puts a smile on my face." The 24-year-old will continue to play nearly every defensive snap and could be an IDP consideration if he can stay healthy this year.
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm) suffered a forearm injury during Sunday's loss to Jacksonville. He didn't return. The 24-year-old has been productive this season, amassing 73 total tackles. Considering Deablo dealt with different ailments heading into Week 9, there's a chance he won't be on the field for the Raiders' next game versus Indianapolis, even if there isn't anything seriously wrong with his forearm.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Virginia Tech safety Divine Deablo with the No. 80 overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft on Friday night. It's back-to-back defensive picks for the Silver and Black after they took edge rusher Malcolm Koonce at No. 79. Deablo has a high floor as smart and experienced safety/linebacker hybrid. He's one of the best overall safety/linebacker hybrids in this draft class. The 6-foot-3, 226-pounder moves smoothly in the secondary and already has an NFL body. Deablo tested well at his Pro Day and has really good instincts on the football field.
