McELHANEY: I know you're shocked I didn't choose Leonard Floyd, but hear me out.
I know who and what Floyd is. I have kept up with his career since he was a youngin'. I feel pretty confident in knowing what the Falcons are getting from someone like Floyd. That's why — even though he's the biggest signing so far — he doesn't intrigue me too much. That moniker goes to Divine Deablo; for more than just his name, I should add.
A major question I had when news broke that Jeff Ulbrich would be taking control of the defensive scheme in 2025 was finding out what he would think about the inside linebacker core, specifically. With Kaden Elliss, Troy Andersen and Nate Landman, the group looked a bit different in play style and skill set than what the position group was the last time Ulbrich was in Atlanta. The last Falcons inside linebacker group Ulbrich coached included Deion Jones and Foye Oluokun.
I think the signing of Deablo mimics a joint skill set between both Jones and Oluokun. What I mean by this is he has the sideline-to-sideline speed similar to Jones, and the background of a college-safety-turned-professional-linebacker like Oluokun. Both traits are things Ulbrich has been known to appreciate in his linebackers.
It'll be interesting to see if Deablo pushes Andersen for a starting job. The Falcons did not retain Nate Landman seeing as his play style likely doesn't fit what Ulbrich needs at the position. I'd imagine Elliss will continue to be used similarly to the way he was in the back half of 2024. Andersen, unfortunately, has not been healthy enough throughout his career for anyone to really gauge how reliable or impactful he can be. Without Andersen, the position does lose some much-needed speed. Enter Deablo, who can provide that. Of course, you do trade off that thumper mentality of being able to body-up with a big-bodied tight end or receiver, but you take that for what Deablo could potentially provide elsewhere in speed and coverage ability.
So, yeah, that's why he's intriguing me the most out of anyone in this class.