If the Raiders are going to improve on defense this year, they are going to need several of their young players to step up. Trevon Moehrig, Nate Hobbs, and Neil Ferrell Jr. are just a handful of the names the Raiders are counting on to make a leap this season.
But what player on the defense is the most likely to take a big step this season? In a recent article by The Athletic, they picked one breakout candidate for all 32 teams heading into the 2023 season.
For the Raiders, that player was none other than Divine Deablo. Here is what Tashan Reed had to say about the third-year player from Virginia Tech:
The Raiders’ linebacker corps was riddled with injuries last season, and Deablo fell victim to a season-ending broken arm after impressing across eight starts. With Denzel Perryman headed to the Texans this offseason — and former Steelers part-time starter Robert Spillane being the only significant linebacker addition the Raiders made.
Las Vegas needs Deablo to emerge in a major way. He bulked up to improve his run support, is skilled in pass coverage and was awarded greater responsibility when he received the green dot, which defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will use to relay play calls, going into OTAs.
Deablo has a lot riding on his shoulders as he is the only linebacker on the roster with any type of coverage ability. He is going to be asked to play a ton of snaps in the middle of the defense and is widely expected to be the team’s tackle leader.
If Deablo struggles, it could doom the entire defense for the Raiders. But if he thrives, the Raiders have a chance to shock a lot of people on that side of the ball. Keep an eye out on Deablo through training camp and the preseason as the buzz on him continues to be overwhelmingly positive this offseason.
