Raiders signed LB Divine Deablo to a four-year contract.
A wide receiver until his sophomore season, Deablo (6'3/226) made the switch to safety while at Virginia Tech and developed into a physical, YAC-killing DB for three seasons. By 2020, Deablo had propelled himself into first-team All-ACC honors, picking up four interceptions along the way. Deablo clocked a 4.42 40-yard dash at Virginia Tech’s pro day, which comes as little surprise given his propensity to fly downhill once he finally triggers. In the NFL, Deablo will need to continue ironing out his eyes and trigger in zone coverage and against the run, as well as shore up some of his loose tackling technique. Deablo’s projects as a box/slot safety but was announced as a linebacker by the Raiders. His versatility should allow him to successfully transition to lineback at the pro level but it may take some time. Deablo will likely play a reserve role on defense as a rookie and should get plenty of run on special teams.