Free agent the Raiders let walk is quietly stealing the show for new team at camp

Las Vegas may already regret letting this player leave without a contract.

The Las Vegas Raiders overturned several parts of their defense this offseason. This is to be expected when transitioning to a different scheme under new head coach Pete Carroll, even if the Raiders kept the same defensive coordinator.

At linebacker, gone were starters like Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo, as well as key depth pieces like Luke Masterson and Amari Burney. In came Elandon Roberts, Devin White, Jaylon Smith, Germaine Pratt and, eventually, Jamal Adams.

Deablo, a third-round pick of the Raiders in 2021, started 42 games over four seasons in Las Vegas with 29 starts over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. It was a fairly unremarkable stint outside of a 106-tackle season in 2023, with a peak overall Pro Football Focus grade of 60.8 as a rookie.

Former Raider Divine Deablo showing out at Falcons training camp

Deablo wound up signing a two-year, $14 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency after the Raiders chose not to re-sign him. ESPN's Marc Raimondi noted how he had quickly impressed his new team during OTAs.

"Head coach Raheem Morris has been impressed with Deablo's size (6-foot-3), length and speed," Raimondi wrote. "Even more than that, Morris believes Deablo is capable of wearing the green dot as kind of the quarterback of the defense. It sounds like the former Raider has a solid chance at a starting job at inside linebacker alongside Kaden Elliss."

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently highlighted eight players who already look like 2025 free agent steals during training camp. Deablo made this list as well, as Gagnon referred to the aforementioned sentiment from OTAs and reports of the work the former Raider is doing in Atlanta.

Morris on LB Divine Deablo: He is absolutely an avatar. He has significant range, he plays with great length. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 6, 202

After playing safety at Virginia Tech, Deablo was an intriguing safety and linebacker hybrid prospect who combined good college production with the ninth-best Athleticism Score among safeties at the 2021 NFL combine.

His versatility was tapped into some during his time with the Raiders, particularly with Patrick Graham as the defensive coordinator, where he played 137 snaps lined up as a slot corner over the last three seasons, according to PFF. However, things just never quite came together fully for him.

The Raiders have failed to get the most out of a lot of players in recent years. While they didn't fail him like they have some others, sometimes a change of scenery is needed for someone to reach their potential. The Falcons may be that ideal place for Deablo.