The Atlanta Falcons finished their 2025 season at 8-9 which knocked them out of the playoffs. However, they won their last four games all by one score and their Week 18 win over the Saints blocked the Buccaneers from winning the NFC South once again.
The offense was inconsistent, and there were times where the defense gave up big plays. At the same time, the defense led by Jeff Ulbrich was one of their strongest points of the team. It made a good enough impression for Ulbrich to be retained as the DC by new head coach Kevin Stefanski.
One of those defensive players for Atlanta that was very much overlooked by the rest of the league was linebacker Divine Deablo, who signed a two-year deal in 2025 to come and join the Falcons. Deablo finished fourth in total tackles for the Falcons (73), but part of the reason why is because of an injury he suffered in the middle of the season, forcing him to miss four games. He also added on 7 pass deflections, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery.
Divine Deablo was Falcons' most impactful player that no one is talking about
Zach Tantillo from Pro Football Focus (PFF) put together a list of the “most underrated impact players of the 2025 NFL season” and Deablo was listed for Atlanta (subscription may be required). Here's what Tantillo said about Deablo:
"Deablo’s two-year, $14 million free-agent deal turned out to be a steal. His 80.9 PFF coverage grade in 2025 led the Falcons, and he was one of just three NFL linebackers to earn an 80.0-plus coverage grade. He logged 430 coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown. Coincidentally, the Falcons went 0-5 in games in which Deablo either sat out or left early."Zach Tantillo, PFF
There are players on teams that make the impact that can really decide whether or not the team wins a ball game. Deablo had that impact for Atlanta, and that stat about the Falcons not winning a game when he left early or didn’t play shows it.
With Ulbrich coming back as the DC for the Falcons, this should really help Deablo make another impact for the Falcons for atleast one more season. Atlanta has a good amount of playmakers on defense, and they will have the chance to keep building it up and Deablo will have the chance to be a great veteran presence for this defense in 2026.