Cleveland Browns add versatile safety Richard LeCounte at No. 169

The Cleveland Browns made their second pick in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, bringing in Georgia safety Richard LeCounte at No. 169

Right now, the Cleveland Browns are set at safety when it comes to their starters. They signed free agent John Johnson III in free agency and he will be one of the two starters.

Next to him will be either Grant Delpit or Ronnie Harrison, depending on the health of Delpit. Last season, Delpit tore his Achilles, and Harrison was added in a trade for depth purposes. He proved to be a steal and now with Delpit coming back and Johnson joining them, they’re three deep.

However, they said they needed more depth and were expected to look for that in the 2021 NFL Draft. They did just that but waited until Round 5 where they took Richard LeCounte from Georgia.

A versatile defender, LeCounte can play either safety position — and can line up in the slot. But the problem is, he doesn’t really stand out in any of these areas.

Still, he wasn’t brought in to start as the Browns clearly want him to provide a roster spot while giving Sheldrick Redwine some competition behind the big three.

If there was anything frustrating about this pick it’s the fact that a couple of others who may have been more popular picks had just come off the board as Jamar Johnson and Darrick Forest were taken just a few selections before the Browns were on the clock.

So far, defense has reigned supreme for Cleveland. They took CB Greg Newsome, LBs Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and DT Tommy Togiai before bringing in LeCounte as well.