David Becker / Associated Press
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (5) recovers a fumble by the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Divine Deablo is among the most mild-mannered and level-headed players on the Raiders’ roster, so he didn’t protest when linebackers coach Antonio Pierce took him out of the team’s preseason opener in the middle of the second quarter on August 4. That doesn’t mean the 23-year-old linebacker wasn’t a bit frustrated — he would have preferred to play longer than to prioritize rest and health, as the coaching staff did.
Up next
• Who: Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders
• When: 1:25 p.m. August 14
• Where: AllegiantStadium
• TV and Radio: Fox 5 and 92.3-FM/920-AM
• Tickets: $35-$520, 800-724-3377, ticketmaster.com
• Betting line: Raiders -3.5, over/under 34
“I was like, ‘Dang, just when it feels like I’m getting started,’” Deablo said in the locker room after Las Vegas’ 27-11 victory over the Jaguars. “It happens, but I get another opportunity against the Vikings [on Sunday] and I’m excited about that.”
New Raiders coach Josh McDaniels follows a similar philosophy to most of his peers in the NFL by sitting out almost all his veteran starters in the preseason. That leaves young, developing players as the prime attractions for the exhibition schedule, which continues for the Raiders August 14 at 1:25 p.m. against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium.
Deablo was one of the defensive standouts in the preseason-opening Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. With Pro Bowl middle linebacker Denzel Perryman on the sidelines, the responsibility of calling plays, making sure everyone was lined up properly and communicating pre-snap reads was left to Deablo.
The way he yelled out alignments and directed traffic belied his soft-spoken nature.
“Last year, I was listening more than anything,” he said. “This year, they wanted me to be that captain/leader, and I just wanted to communicate and make sure everybody was in the right place at the right time.”
He also excelled once the ball was in play. McDaniels mentioned in his postgame news conference that he was happy with how well the team tackled in its first action of the year, and that started with Deablo.
He had three tackles during his brief game action, shedding blocks and filling rushing lanes with ease to keep the Jaguars from scoring—and barely allowing them to get past midfield. The successful showing felt in some ways like a full-circle moment to Deablo, who considers his preseason debut last year to be the low point of his career.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Deablo explained the origin of his name in a 2020 interview with the ACC Network during his senior season at Virginia Tech. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native said his last name dates back generations, to when his ancestors were Native Americans as part of the Deablo tribe. His father was bullied as a child, because “deablo” translates from Spanish to English as “devil,” so he wanted to “balance it out” and give his son a heavenly first name.
After missing most of training camp as a rookie taken in the third round out of Virginia Tech in 2021, he got healthy enough to play in the preseason finale against San Francisco. But he wasn’t ready for the physicality of professional football and repeatedly got manhandled in a 34-10 loss. He now recognizes it as his “welcome to the NFL” moment.
“I think that was the worst game I ever played in my life,” Deablo said. “I got thrown around everywhere and just hated that feeling. I said, ‘never again,’ to myself, so that’s why it stuck with me.”
He was probably judging those struggles too harshly, considering the Raiders’ regime at the time selected Deablo as a project and expected some growing pains. He arrived at Virginia Tech in 2016 as a 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver, before getting moved to safety for his sophomore season.
Deablo put on 16 pounds throughout his college career, helping to convince the Raiders he could fit as a modern, hybrid linebacker who can excel equally against the run and in pass coverage. The former just took longer, and Deablo didn’t feel strong enough during his brief preseason appearance a year ago.
He didn’t get another chance until three months into the regular season after adjusting to the new position and dealing with nagging injuries, but showed major progress while starting the Raiders’ final five games.
Deablo averaged nine total tackles per game, but perhaps more importantly, profiled well by more advanced measures. Pro Football Focus graded him as an above-average rookie despite the new position, and Football Outsiders tabbed him as a potential 2022 breakout candidate.
Still, with a new coach coming in, all that promise might have been compromised. New coaching staffs often decide holdover young players don’t fit with their systems and choose either to trade them or minimize their playing time.
McDaniels has refrained from detailing his plans for some players in similar situations, but his staff hasn’t been tight-lipped about Deablo. The first question posed to Pierce during his lone media availability this summer was about the linebacking corps in general—and Deablo’s was the first name out of his mouth.
“There’s a lot of physical traits there I can’t coach,” Pierce said of Deablo. “The mental aspect is where we’re working, and he’s doing a great job of that. What you see is a guy that’s real eager and happy, loves being in the building and loves football.”
When the Raiders drafted Deablo, some joked that they did it because, if he panned out, they’d sell jerseys and merchandise due to his name. They might want to start printing now, because Deablo looks well on his way to establishing himself as a franchise cornerstone in his second season.
“I’ve definitely come a long way, but I’ve got a long way to go to be to where I want to be,” Deablo said. “I want to be elite one day.”
This story originally appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
