Undrafted LB Mohamoud Diabate has made big plays in preseason games and has been productive in practices, and he'll look to do it one more time in Saturday's preseason finale against the Chiefs.
Last week against the Eagles, Diabate opened the defense's first series game with a tackle for a loss in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Diabate also tallied a sack late in the second quarter and forced a fumble.
Browns coaches have been impressed with the undrafted rookie from Utah, who is fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster.
"I try to think about what I could control the controllables, do what I can and let the people who make decisions make their decisions," Diabate said. "I don't sit around worrying about something that I don't have a decision in. So, I'm focused on going out there on Saturday, having a great game and giving a good impression to the entire league."
Check out photos of the team during the seventeenth day of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Safety Nate Meadors (30) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (5) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Kicker Cade York (3) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Safety Grant Delpit (22) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Kicker Cade York (3) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. (80) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Kicker Cade York (3) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Wide receiver Jaelon Darden (16) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Linebacker Cam Bright (49) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (5) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) during Day 17 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 24, 2023.
During practices, Diabate has been highly active and displayed excellent awareness on the field. Coach Kevin Stefanski noted last week that Diabate has seamlessly transitioned from the practice field to the game field.
"I feel like I've had a great camp," Diabate said. "I've been able to showcase my talents, whether it be in practice or as you guys have seen in the game. So I've definitely been proud of myself. I feel like I put my best foot forward every single day and give my best effort taking the coaching and made corrections. So I'm excited for the future. I'm thankful for my time so far here."
Diabate arrived at training camp with a lot of motivation, as he was not selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. His draft prospects were lowered after undergoing surgery during his final season at Utah and not receiving an invitation to the NFL Combine.
It didn't take long for Diabate to catch the attention of an NFL team, though, as the Browns reached out to him after the draft had ended. Although Diabate had not previously worked out for the Browns, he was impressed with the conversation he had with Stefanski when he received the call.
"If you would have asked me on April 28, 'are you going to be a Cleveland Brown?' I would have thought no shot," Diabate said. " I never communicated with them. But they did a great job of vetting me. They did a great job of scouting me because when I came here, they had all the information that I could even imagine."
