Samuel Cosmi a non-first-round rookie poised to make immediate impact

Hall of Fame NFL executive and NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt listed the Washington Football Team’s Samuel Cosmi as a non-first-round rookie that could have a breakout season in 2021. In his rankings of 11 players, Cosmi came in at No. 10.

“The offensive line was a relative bright spot for Washington in 2020, ranking sixth in Pro Football Focus’ end-of-year hierarchy,” Brandt said. “So the fact that Washington released right tackle Morgan Moses — a solid veteran who didn’t miss a start last season — tells you how highly the team values Cosmi, who earned the best overall grade from PFF among all Washington rookies in the preseason opener while manning Moses’ old position.”

Washington drafted Cosmi in the second round of April’s NFL Draft with the No. 51 overall pick. 

Cosmi is better on his feet than most lineman, often moving like a large tight end. He does well in space, and his strength in pass protection improved significantly last year.

Cosmi had an All-Big 12 career at Texas

6-foot-6, 314-pound Cosmi was once a three-star recruit committed to Houston. The All-Big 12 lineman sat out his freshman year in 2017, started in the second game of his sophomore season and racked up 34 straight starts. The streak ended when Cosmi elected to sit out Texas’s last two games in 2020. He started for the Longhorns at right tackle in 2018, but moved to the left side for his final two seasons. 

In 2019, he even scored a touchdown in a game against West Virginia. 

Cosmi was the first offensive lineman drafted out of Texas since Connor Williams was taken in the second round of the 2018 draft.

Washington’s offensive line looks to continue improvement after surprisingly good 2020

As Brandt said, Washington’s offensive line in 2021 was a welcomed surprise for Football Team fans. They started the year ranked No. 29 in PFF’s offensive line rankings. Antonio Gibson had a great season in part due to the offensive line’s play, finishing with 795 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. 

Washington picked up Charles Leno from Chicago on a one-year, $5 million deal. Leno did not miss a start at left tackle for the Bears in five years. They also added former first-round pick Ereck Flowers from the Dolphins. Another former first-round pick, right guard Brandon Scherff, and center Chase Roullier are confirmed starters at their respective positions.