As back-to-back picks in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Divine Deablo and Malcolm Koonce are tied at the hip. Koonce’s name was called first as the 79th overall pick and Deablo quickly followed as the 80th selection by the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only that, but two months and 11 days are all that separate their birthdays.
The duo were taken to help supplement the roster and fill talent voids at defensive end and linebacker, respectively, and it took some time to get quality return on investment (ROI). That’s not an easy thing to do and for football teams — especially one like the Raiders, a squad not renowned for its talent evaluation and development — and the early returns weren’t promising on either Koonce or Deablo.