WATCH: Richard LeCounte seals Cleveland Browns win with interception in end zone - 247Sports

There has been some wondering if rookie safety Richard LeCounte III would make the Cleveland Browns' roster. LeCounte has not only solidified a roster spot the last two weeks, but the fifth-round pick has put critics on notice by reeling in interceptions in back to back preseason games, including one that sealed a 17-13 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.

“Ball finds a way to him, and he has great ball skills,’' Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said via Cleveland.com. “Certainly did in college as well. To be able to get the ball at the end was important.

The Browns took LeCounte with the No. 169 overall selection in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, reuniting him with star tailback Nick Chubb. The two played together on the Dawgs' 2017 SEC Championship squad.

At Georgia's Pro Day in the spring, LeCounte measured in at 5-foot-10 and a half and weighing in at 196 pounds, with 77.5-inch wingspan, 31 and 5/8 inch arms, and 10 and 1/8 inch hands, LeCounte recorded a 32-inch vertical jump and had unofficial 40-yard dash times of 4.76 and 4.82, with the SEC Network timing him at 4.78 seconds. That left many wondering if LeCounte was fully recovered from the injuries he sustained from the dirt bike accident back on October 31, where he suffered a concussion, rib injuries, and, as he revealed this week, a foot injury as well. NFL Network draft analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah defended LeCounte at the time and doubled down on his opinion during a lengthy conference call with reporters.

"When you look at LeCounte and you look at him on paper, you see the pro day he ran a 4.76 and you're like, Oh, my -- no way he's going to be the sixth safety off the board," Jeremiah said. "But his tape is really good, and in talking to a bunch of teams that have all the GPS data, he plays like if you were going to do the equivalent, he plays like a 4.4 safety. That's how he plays on the field. He had the accident which we mentioned. I don't think he's fully recovered from that yet. Did not run well at his pro day, but most of the teams I've talked to are forgiving the workout and believing in what they saw in the player on tape. I still think he factors into that. Probably the fourth round will probably be where he ends up going.

2nd Week In A Row Richard Lecounte III @LeCounteRichard https://t.co/CyIFcQ94f1

— QuavoYRN (@QuavoStuntin) August 22, 2021

LeCounte's impact on Georgia's program was tremendous. He picked off eight passes in his last 21 games. He had a hand in over a dozen turnovers for the Bulldogs while piling up 176 career tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, six fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. When momentum-changing plays have happened for UGA on defense, LeCounte always seems to be close by. In addition to coming up big for the Bulldogs between the white lines, he has represented the program well on the outside as well.

Coming out of Liberty County High School (Hinesville, Ga.), LeCounte was rated as a five-star prospect per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. He was the first player to commit to UGA after Smart became the head coach, giving his pledge in December of 2015 when he wasn't able to sign until February of 2017. He was ranked as the nation's No. 25 overall prospect and No. 2 safety per the composite Injuries from the accident forced him to miss the latter portion of the 2020 season. Unable to play in the next four games, LeCounte vowed to get back on the field and finish his career with his teammates. He did that on the final play of the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl when Smart sent him out to play in prevent defense as Cincinnati had one final play.

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