Grading the Washington Football Team’s 2021 NFL Draft
Washington Football Team grades for Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft
Round 2, Pick 51: OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas
This was a really nice value for Washington. Cosmi could have been an early Day 2 pick, and there was a chance for him to go late in the first round if a team fell in love with his athletic skill set. Instead, he lasted until the 51st pick.
Cosmi has a big 6-foot-5 frame and flashed upper-echelon talent and athleticism at Texas. He is a bit raw and inconsistent, but since Washington doesn’t need a starter right away, they can afford to have him compete as a swing tackle and eventually battle to replace one of their free-agents-to-be, Cornelius Lucas or Morgan Moses.
Cosmi was a great value, and if John Matsko can get the most out of him, he could be a steal. There’s a lot to like about this pick.
Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 74: DB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
There’s a lot of upside with St-Juste. He has a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and he is very versatile. The team listed him as a defensive back when he was drafted, and while he has the size needed to be a big, physical corner, he could cross-train at safety, which is something that he did a little bit of at the Senior Bowl.
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For now, St-Juste will compete for a the third cornerback job with Jimmy Moreland. If he can’t win that, he may serve as a super-sub in the secondary and will replace the departed Fabian Moreau as the team’s top backup at the cornerback position.
Though St-Juste has a big frame and solid athletic ability, he was a bit of a reach as he only played 18 college games while battling some injury issues early in his career. Many anticipated that he would be a Day 3 pick, but Ron Rivera mentioned that a team wanted to trade up for St-Juste, so we won’t fault him too much for pulling the trigger a bit early.
Grade: C
Round 3, Pick 82: WR Dyami Brown, North Carolina
Brown seems like a great fit with this Washington offense. He’s fast and profiles as a true downfield threat. In each of the last two seasons, he has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark and averaged more than 20 yards per catch.
Brown still needs to work on his route running a bit, but Washington needed another downfield threat at receiver. Brown will provide that and fits the style of offense that Ryan Fitzpatrick likes to run. If Fitzpatrick develops chemistry with him, Brown could become a productive receiver sooner than his draft slot indicates.
And of late, the WFT’s third-round picks on offense have been great. Perhaps Brown will continue that trend.
Grade: A-
Washington landed two players a bit later than they were expected to go and took one player a bit earlier than many anticipated. All of the players they selected had upside and filled needs, so that’s a nice bonus for them.
The middling St-Juste grade will drag this down a little bit, but largely, there’s reason to be excited about Washington’s Day 2 haul.