The Washington Football Team entered the 2021 NFL Draft with eight selections to their name. So far, they have made four of them.
With Day 2 in the books, the team has split their resources evenly on offense and defense. They added LB Jamin Davis in the first round, OT Samuel Cosmi in the second round, and DB Benjamin St-Juste and WR Dyami Brown in the third round.
Overall, that’s a solid haul, and it’s looking like the Washington Football Team is building on their already strong roster.
But how exactly does each pick grade out? Here’s a look at each of the team’s four picks so far and how they grade out for the team.
Washington Football Team Draft Grades: LB Jamin Davis, Kentucky
It was widely reported that the Washington Football Team was considering an offensive tackle or a linebacker with their first selection. That turned out to be the case, and Washington ended up adding a player to upgrade their defense in Jamin Davis.
Davis was excellent during his junior season at Kentucky, posting 102 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three interceptions for the Wildcats. He has superb instincts and is able to move well both downhill and side to side and avoids traffic well while making tackles.
In coverage, he is strong and has the speed and skills needed to stick with tight ends and guard the middle of the field. He’s still growing in this area, but considering that he’s only 22, he has very high upside. He’s also an athletic freak and tested extremely well during the pre-draft process.
And Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio, two former linebackers, liked him enough to take him on. That certainly says something about his overall skill set and what they view his ceiling to be.
Davis certainly filled a need for Washington. He has the athletic ability they crave and should be a good fit in the team’s 4-3 scheme. He went just about where he was expected to go in the draft, the late teens/early 20s, so this looks like a really good pick for Washington.
Grade for picking Jamin Davis: B+
Washington Football Team Draft Grades: OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas
The Washington Football Team only had one chance to draft tackle that fit their team better than Samuel Cosmi. That would have been Christian Darrisaw had they decided to take him in Round 1.
Instead, Washington waited until Round 2 to address the tackle spot. And boy, did it pay off.
The 2021 NFL Draft class was known to be deep at tackle, but still, it was surprising to see Cosmi at the board at 51. The Texas product had, at times, been mocked as a late first-round pick and has massive size and sky-high upside.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
That’s why I rated him as one of the best tackle fits for Washington a couple of weeks before the draft. Here’s what I wrote about him at that time.
"For the Longhorns, Cosmi flashed at times on tape. He has a decent 6-foot-5, 314-pound frame and has explosive athletic ability. That’s part of why he logged a 9.99 RAS this offseason, the second-highest mark in this draft class behind only Spencer Brown. Cosmi’s best skills come in pass protection. Because of his athletic ability and fluid movement skills, he can keep up with even the best speed rushers. He shows off good quickness getting into his set and is strong at the point of attack. Against the run, Cosmi is solid as well. He has good functional strength and takes good angles to get to blockers downfield. And at the point of attack, Cosmi generates some push and at the very least, tends to stalemate the defenders he latches onto."
Sure, Cosmi isn’t consistent. But the flashes of greatness that he showed on tape showcase that he has higher-end starting potential at the tackle spot. It may take him some time to develop, but Washington gave that to Morgan Moses and he turned out to be a solid starter. With a year to learn, Cosmi could do the same.
Plus, he’s versatile enough to play left or right tackle, so he can fight for the swing tackle role this offseason with Saahdiq Charles.
Nobody would’ve batted an eye if Cosmi was a top-40 pick. Getting him at 51 is a very good value and Washington should be very excited that they were able to land him.
Grade for picking Samuel Cosmi: A
Washington Football Team Draft Grades: DB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
This was a big-time upside pick for Washington. It was also probably a bit of a reach. Most mock drafts had St-Juste listed as a Day 3 option, so taking him in the third round was just a little bit early.
That said, Ron Rivera did confirm that one team had tried to trade up for St-Juste, as noted by NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, so perhaps teams were higher on St-Juste than people realized.
St-Juste was a productive cornerback for the Golden Gophers. He has a strong 6-foot-3 frame and his skill set should allow him to be a good press corner at the next level. He will be able to win with strength but he has enough athleticism to win in coverage.
More from Commanders Draft News
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Bet365 VA Bonus Code – Claim $200 Guaranteed With Sign-Up Bonus
There’s also a versatility element with St-Juste. He can play outside at corner but could be a big slot corner if needed. He also did a little bit of safety work during the Senior Bowl, so if Washington really wanted to see what he could do there, they could at least give him a trial run there during camp.
For now, it seems like St-Juste will fight for a starting cornerback job with Jimmy Moreland and if he can’t win that, he’ll have a chance to replace Fabian Moreau as the top backup corner on the team. What he adds is more depth and competition, but if he can continue to grow as a player and fill out his frame, he could become a perfect complement to William Jackson III outside.
There are some concerns with St-Juste. He has had some injury concerns in the past, and that’s part of the reason that he transferred from Michigan to Minnesota. Regardless, the potential is there and the pick fills a need even if the value was a little lacking.
Grade for picking Benjamin St-Juste: C
Washington Football Team Draft Grades: WR Dyami Brown
One of the goals for Washington entering the 2021 NFL Draft was to add some more speed to their roster. With their second pick in Round 3 of the draft, they selected Dyami Brown.
Mission accomplished.
Brown is a speed threat receiver that averaged over 20 yards per catch during his final two seasons at North Carolina. He has a 6-foot-1, 189-pound frame and should add depth and competition to the Washington receiving corps.
The best thing about Brown is that he is a type of receiver that they don’t have. The Washington Football Team has some big receivers in Cam Sims, Kelvin Harmon, and Antonio Gandy-Golden. They also have some slot archetypes in Adam Humphries and Steven Sims. Then, there is Terry McLaurin, the great route runner with speed, and Curtis Samuel, a do-it-all, versatile weapon.
Brown is a pure speed threat. He will be able to stretch teams downfield and open up more space for McLaurin, Samuel, and Humphries to operate within. Ryan Fitzpatrick loves taking downfield chances, so having a player like this in the lineup will be important to match his playing style.
Brown could have been a late second-round pick and it wouldn’t have surprised many. Getting him in the middle of Round 3 is a good value. He adds another dimension to what is now a very deep-looking Washington receiving corps.
Grade for picking Dyami Brown: A-
We’ll soon see what the Washington Football Team has in store for us on Day 2. But so far, they’ve done a good job of adding quality players to their team.