Divine Deablo Bio
Divine Ahmad Deablo is an American professional football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 224 pounds, he plays a physical, downhill style of defense and has appeared in both starting and rotational roles since entering the league. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his performance on the field, including being named first team All-ACC in 2020.
Divine Deablo
Early Life and Background
Divine Ahmad Deablo was born on August 17, 1998, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He grew up in the same city and attended Mount Tabor High School, where he developed into a multi-sport athlete. He comes from a sporting family, and his name, Divine, became a small piece of his public identity as he climbed through the football ranks.
At Mount Tabor, Deablo lined up primarily at wide receiver and was a three-time All-Central Piedmont Conference selection across his final three prep seasons. As a senior, he earned All-Northwest North Carolina honors after averaging 21 yards per reception and hauling in 10 touchdown catches, the kind of production that made him a priority recruit for several Atlantic Coast Conference programs. Following that senior year, he committed to Virginia Tech over scholarship offers from North Carolina and N.C. State.
Path to American Football
Deablo arrived at Virginia Tech as a true freshman wide receiver, but the Hokies coaching staff moved him to the safety position after his first season. The change suited his frame and his willingness to mix it up in the box, and he soon became a regular in the Virginia Tech defensive backfield rotation. A foot injury cut into his sophomore year and led to a medical redshirt, slowing his development but preserving a year of eligibility.
He returned healthy and grew into one of the Hokies’ most productive defensive players. As a redshirt junior, he finished second on the team with 84 tackles, and he was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week in Week 10 after recovering a fumble against Notre Dame and returning it 98 yards for a touchdown. The following season, he posted 55 tackles, four interceptions, and four passes broken up, earning first-team All-ACC recognition and establishing himself as a legitimate professional prospect.
Divine Deablo Career
Early Career (2021)
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Deablo in the third round, 80th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft, then signed him to a four-year rookie contract on July 23, 2021. He stepped into a depth role as a rookie and appeared in all 17 games while making five starts, finishing the year with 45 tackles. The season was a steady introduction to the speed and complexity of professional football, and it earned him a larger defensive role heading into his second year.
Las Vegas Raiders Breakthrough (2022–2024)
Deablo entered the 2022 season as a starting linebacker for the Raiders and was productive out of the gate, leading the team in tackles over the first eight games. A placement on injured reserve on November 7, 2022 cut his second season short, but the early-season play had confirmed he could handle a full-time starting workload in the NFL.
He returned healthy in 2023 and recorded his first career sack in Week 2, taking down Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in a 38-10 loss. In 2024, he added an unexpected wrinkle to his résumé: in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, he caught his first career reception, a 34-yard grab on a fake punt thrown by punter A.J. Cole, during a 29-19 defeat. Across his four seasons in Las Vegas, Deablo developed from a situational player into a reliable core special-teamer and linebacker, though the Raiders ultimately chose to move on after his rookie deal.
Atlanta Falcons Era (2025–Present)
On March 14, 2025, Deablo signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, joining a defense that was being reshaped during the offseason. He quickly carved out a role with his new team and contributed on defense and special teams early in the year. His 2025 season was interrupted in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, when he suffered a broken forearm and was placed on injured reserve on October 25.
The Falcons activated Deablo on November 19 in time for the Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, giving him a chance to finish the year on the field. His contract runs through the 2027 league year, leaving him under team control beyond the current campaign and providing a runway to re-establish himself as a long-term piece of the Atlanta defense.
Driving Style and Strengths
Deablo is a tall, long linebacker whose best work comes when he can read run action and trigger downhill against ball carriers. He is also comfortable dropping into zone coverage, a holdover from his safety days at Virginia Tech, and he has shown enough open-field athleticism to contribute on special-teams coverage units. The position switch from wide receiver to safety in college, and then to linebacker in the NFL, has given him a defensive range that few players at his size possess.
Notable Events and Milestones
His first career sack on Josh Allen in 2023 and his surprise 34-yard reception on a fake punt in 2024 both stand out as signature moments from his Raiders tenure. Becoming a third-round pick in 2021, leading the Raiders in tackles through the first eight games of 2022, and earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2020 round out the headline achievements of his career to this point.
Divine Deablo Career Wins
Divine Deablo’s professional résumé is built more on steady defensive production and positional versatility than on a long list of box-score wins. His most visible achievements to date are his 2020 first-team All-ACC selection, his 98-yard fumble return touchdown against Notre Dame in college, and his rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
Other Wins and Performances
At the high school level, Deablo was a multi-year All-Central Piedmont Conference selection at Mount Tabor and an All-Northwest North Carolina pick as a senior. He added ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors in college and finished among the Virginia Tech team leaders in tackles, performances that helped push him into Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Divine Deablo Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Deablo’s parents and extended family is limited, and he has not shared detailed background on his parents in widely available sources. What is clear is that he grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attended Mount Tabor High School, and came out of a sporting environment that pushed him toward a serious athletic path.
Personal Life
Deablo’s personal life, including details about a spouse, partner, or children, has not been made public. He has focused his public profile on his career, with an active Instagram presence under the handle @deablo_. Off the field, his story is closely tied to his move from wide receiver to defensive back in college and then to linebacker in the NFL.
2025 Season Performance
Deablo’s 2025 campaign began with a fresh start in Atlanta after he signed a two-year, $14 million contract on March 14, 2025. He worked into the Falcons linebacker rotation during the early weeks and offered the kind of downhill tackling and special-teams value Atlanta had targeted in free agency. The season took a difficult turn in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, when a broken forearm sent him to injured reserve on October 25.
The Falcons activated Deablo on November 19, allowing him to return for the Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints and finish the year on the field. With his contract running through 2027, Atlanta’s 2026 outlook will depend heavily on how he finishes the back half of the 2025 schedule, and on whether he can stay healthy and re-establish himself as a full-time defensive contributor. The early results in Atlanta, paired with the leadership shown by working his way back from the forearm injury, suggest a player with more upside than his stat line alone might show.