No matter how you slice it, the Atlanta Falcons hit the jackpot signing Divine Deablo in free agency last offseason. Little did anyone but Jeff Ulbrich know that the athletic linebacker Atlanta signed to a two-year, $14 million deal would eventually cement himself as one of their most important defenders.
Deablo broke out for the Falcons in 2025, but he hasn't even scratched the surface of the playerf he could be yet. He's the reason Ian Cunningham felt comfortable allowing Kaden Elliss to walk in free agency this year, as he's the player set to take on Elliss' role as the new green dot of the defense.
Agent 0 is bound to take a leap in Year 2 in Atlanta, especually as his role becomes more concrete. But as he has another offseason of continuity under his belt, another offseason working with Ulbrich will help unlock Deablo's true form, and hopefully see him push for a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nomination.
Divine Deablo's best days with the Falcons still have yet to come
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has been surveying NFL coaches, scouts, and executives on the 10 best players at every position entering the 2026 seasons. And when the linebackers were up, the 27-year-old wasn't listed. He didn't even so much as receive an honorable mention, let alone a singular vote.
But fear not, because by the end of the 2026, he'll certainly be in those conversations he started to force his way into last year. But now we'll see him take on even more reponsibility with the Dirty Birds, and if this defensive coaching staff didn't trust him with it, they would've called upon someone else.
We saw just how much the Falcons' defense imploded during the four weeks that Deablo was on IR. JD Bertrand was clearly in over his head playing his role, as he wasn't athletic enough or good enough in coverage to fill his role. In fact, no depth LBs they had were able to replace his impact.
Had the 2021 third-round pick from Virginia Tech played in all 17 games, he likely would've surpassed his career-high 106 tackles set in 2023--and would've made a push for his first career Pro Bowl. As a converted safety, he moves like a safety, and has so much raw talent it's impossible for us to ignore.
Not only does Divine Deablo have every quality that a linebacker in a Jeff Ulbrich defense should want, every NFL defense should want a player like him. There's a reason that the Falcons tried to clone this guy with the selection of Kendal Daniels: they aren't satisfied with one converted safety.
Not only is he about to thrive in a contract year in a bigger role in the same system, he's about to make himself a household name in the process and continue the Falcons' defensive improvement.
Add us as a preferred source on Google