Las Vegas Raiders 7-round 2021 NFL Mock: Heavy on the defense

In the fifth round, the Raiders double up on safeties and pick another Georgia Bulldog in safety Richard LeCounte. While Gillespie projects more as a free safety, LeCounte looks to excel more as a box safety in the mold of Tyrann Mathieu, or even current Raiders safety Johnathan Abram.

Abram has struggled in coverage but where he flashes is in the run game and in the box and the same can be said of LeCounte. The former Georgia Bulldog also has a reputation as a ballhawk as he recorded eight interceptions, ten passes defended, and six fumble recoveries in his career.

The Raiders struggled tremendously in forcing turnovers, and bringing in a player like LeCounte could help in that area given his track record. His measurables are not top-level, and he does not have elite speed, but football is a mental game as much as it is physical and that is where he excels.

Scouts rave about LeCounte’s instincts and ability to identify and attack, which is an area where Abram and the Raiders’ other defensive backs have struggled. He is known to be a film junkie and that translates to the field where he can make up for a slight deficiency in speed and athleticism by being one mental step ahead of his opponent.