Three under the radar Falcons leading the defensive turnaround

The investments the Falcons made into the defensive side of the ball have paid significant dividends through the first four weeks, as the unit ranks inside the top 10 in just about every important defensive metric.

• 2nd in opponent yards per game

• 14th in points per game allowed

• 11th in sacks

• 7th in takeaways

• 9th in sack percentage

• 8th in interception percentage

First-round picks Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. got all of the hype coming into the season, and they’ve played a considerable role in turning Atlanta’s defense around, as have two other rookies — Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr., both of whom have started every game thus far in the secondary.

However, as good as the rookies have been — and they’ve been mostly fantastic — it’s been a few unsuspecting characters that have really allowed this defense to flourish so quickly.

It’s impossible to watch this defense and not notice No. 0 in the middle: Divine Deablo. His two-year free-agent deal was widely viewed as puzzling, given the Falcons’ cap space and other needs. But with Troy Andersen still sidelined on injured reserve, Deablo has seized the opportunity. He’s been everywhere — shutting down outside runs with elite speed, holding his own in coverage, and ranking second on the team in passes defended. If his hands were a little softer, he’d already have a couple of interceptions. So far, he looks like one of the best value signings of the offseason, another under-the-radar gem for Terry Fontenot.

Just as important has been the emergence of second-year defensive linemen Zach Harrison and Ruke Orhorhoro. Both were underused by former coordinator Jimmy Lake, but Jeff Ulbrich has unlocked them. Harrison leads the team in sacks (2.5) and has already forced a fumble, playing more than twice as many snaps as last year. Orhorhoro, who appeared in only eight games as a rookie, now ranks fourth among all interior linemen in pressure rate (19.6%).

The rookie class finally brought some hope that a defensive turnaround was possible in Atlanta, but there was a never a scenario where they were going to be able to do it alone. Some of the Falcons second and third year guys had to start producing, and new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been masterful at putting all the pieces together. The challenges will only get tougher in the coming weeks, but this is a defense that hasn’t even fully gelled yet, and they are already producing like a top-ten unit in the league.