One player that should see a big role increase during the 2023 season is linebacker Divine Deablo. Going into Year 3, the Raiders are counting on him to be the leader of their defense. That is a huge step up for Deablo after playing just 760 defensive snaps in the first two years of his NFL career.
In a recent article by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, he shared some of his notes from the mandatory mini-camp practice for the Raiders on Tuesday. One note was that Deablo has dropped some weight ahead of the 2023 season, getting down to 234 pounds:
After shedding a few pounds to get down to 234, Deablo has settled into a groove. He and Robert Spillane have served as the starting linebacker duo throughout the majority of OTAs, and that remained the case with the start of mandatory minicamp Tuesday. Entering his third year in the NFL, he feels he’s coming into his own.
Deablo entered the league at 226 pounds, but it’s clear that he bulked up in Year 2 to handle the every down stress of playing in the NFL. But he also lacked the burst and speed that we saw from him during his time at Virginia Tech.
The Raiders are hoping that Deablo can make a big impact in Year 3 as they lack linebacker depth. He’s the only linebacker on the roster that has any upside in the passing game as he should be able to cover tight ends and running backs. If he can have a breakout season, the Raiders could have a chance to make some noise on the defensive side of the ball.
