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The Virginia Tech Hokies had their third player drafted in the 2021 NFL draft on Friday night when safety Divine Deablo went to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 80 overall.
Deablo came to Virginia Tech as a wide receiver from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before transitioning to the defensive side early in his career. It was the right move.
Deablo became an All-ACC defender and a three-year starter for the Hokies at safety. He leaves behind an outstanding legacy with his coaches, teammates and fans as numerous players — and defensive coordinator Justin Hamilton — posted heartfelt messages to Deablo.
@Raiders, you just got a diamond! I’ve been blessed in my lifetime to be around some really good players & some really good ppl...you, my dude, are in the top 0.001% in both categories Keep being YOU forever & always‼️ Proud of you bro pic.twitter.com/6uUfrjsiIV
— Justin Hamilton (@coach_ham) May 1, 2021
Deablo was one of the more interesting prospects throughout the pre-draft process due to his combination of size (6-foot-3, 226 pounds) and speed. He also has college production on his side and can be a versatile defensive piece for a smart NFL defensive coordinator. Hopefully, the Raiders recognize what they have in Deablo and use him accordingly.
RD 3 | PICK 80 - Raiders: Divine Deablo S, Virginia Tech
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) May 1, 2021
Deablo is built like a linebacker (6-foot-3, 226-pounds) but runs like a safety (4.44-second 40). The three-year starter at Virginia Tech earned an 83 overall draft score based on an intriguing analytics profile. pic.twitter.com/vl8mOGlKNA
Deablo will be missed in Blacksburg. However, we hope he becomes a star at the next level. Best of luck in the NFL, Divine.