Philadelphia Eagles, three-round mock draft: Keeping it simple again
By Hunter Doyle
S. Bulldogs . Richard LeCounte III. 84. player. 814.
The Philadelphia Eagles find a nice chess piece in the mid-rounds.
Georgia safety Richard LeCounte III might be one of the most underrated safeties in this year’s draft class. While he might not be the most athletic or biggest guy on the field, he has a nose for the football.
Kirby Smart’s defense is not an easy one to step into but LeCounte thrived in it. He did a great job of communicating adjustments to his teammates and making sure they were in the best position to succeed pre-snap.
In free agency, the Eagles signed veteran safety Andrew Adams. They also made a big splash by signing star safety Anthony Harris. Even with both of those moves, they could still use depth and youth at the position. It’s also important to keep in mind that Harris and Adams are both on one-year deals.
If Jonathan Gannon does run more Cover 2 and two-high safety sets, LeCounte could fit right in. He played in more of a centerfield role at Georgia, but he might not have the range to do that as often at the NFL-level. More two-high looks could benefit him and he could stay play centerfield as needed.
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Regardless, his instincts and ability to play special teams at a high level will keep him in the league for some time. It’ll be up to Gannon and the defensive coaching staff to figure out what the right fit is for LeCounte in the defense. The best-case scenario might be if he develops into a Malcolm Jenkins type who can move around the formation.