With the 51st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Washington Football Team bolstered its offensive line by taking Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi.
Cosmi (6-foot-6, 314 pounds) bulked up by 50 pounds after redshirting his freshman season and emerged as one of the best offensive linemen in the Big 12. He played in 35 games with 34 starts and is a two-time All-Big 12 selection (second-team in 2019 and first team in 2020). Cosmi was also an honorable mention for Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in both seasons.
Cosmi is known for having the ability to work well in space against linebackers and defensive backs. His athleticism was put to good use by the Longhorns in several ways, including running in a touchdown against West Virginia on a trick play.
The Longhorns were a solid offense with Cosmi holding down quarterback Sam Ehlinger. He protected the senior signal-caller as he finished the 2020 season with 2,788 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns. Ehlinger's average of 309.8 yards per game was the best in the Big 12 last season. The offense as a whole scored 41.3 points per game, which is the most in program history.
One of Cosmi's biggest strengths resides in his pass protection. He earned a pass-blocking grade of 82.9 by Pro Football Focus during his first season as a starter in 2018, and that grade remained steady throughout his career. He boasted an 86.0 grade after switching from right tackle to left in 2019 and only allowed 14 pressures on nearly 600 pass-blocking snaps. He finished the 2020 season as the third-highest-graded pass-blocker among draft eligible tackles.
Cosmi's overall grade improved as well. After receiving an 79.7 in 2018, he dramatically increased that to 90.8 over a three-year span. Plus, he showed off his progress with impressive Pro Day numbers, including 36 reps on the bench press and an impressive 4.80 40-yard dash.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein projects as someone who will become a starter within the first two seasons. Luckily, Washington has one of the NFL's most experienced offensive coaches in John Matsko. And if his previous progress is any indication, Cosmi will be willing to put in the work to compete at the NFL level.
"I don't know if I can function without football," Cosmi said on the 2 for 1 Drafts podcast.
