Washington Football Team: Analyzing 2021 second-round pick OT Samuel Cosmi

Tape Breakdown

Samuel Cosmi’s RAS of 9.99 is what catches the most attention, and on tape, his athletic traits are easy to see. He’s a low-hipped tackle prospect who towers over most of his opponents. And yet, he has the movement skills to match most players on the edge. He’s very spry and light on his feet, and he has the explosiveness and finesse to adjust his blocking angles and drive down the field.

Cosmi also has impressive natural power and flexibility. At 314 pounds, he could stand to beef up a little more for his size, but he’s by no means weak on tape. Against smaller edge rushers, Cosmi can easily absorb explosive contact, and he also flashes the hand usage necessary to flip those rushers around and stuff them into the dirt.

It’s at the contact point that other positive aspects of Cosmi’s game also start to show. Cosmi has exceptional grip strength, even if his 33-inch arms don’t amount to elite length. He also possesses an easily distinguishable “mauler mentality”. He regularly finishes players into the ground, and he has the short-range burst and anchor to convert on those one-on-one opportunities.

Most of the concerns surrounding Cosmi’s game are operational, as his physical profile covers most, if not all, of the necessary bases. Cosmi doesn’t have elite length, and that hurts him on occasion, but he can compensate for that by improving his leverage at the NFL level. Being 6-foot-6, Cosmi naturally plays too tall on occasion, and thus, he allows defensive linemen to get inside his torso, where they can then better direct his movement.

Additionally, while Cosmi is a very able mover, he can increase his efficiency of motion by refining his footwork. His footwork can be choppy and disorganized sometimes, and his base can linger on the thin side. If he can consistently widen his base and adopt a more consistent rhythm, he could play with better balance, therefore maximizing his physical traits.

Beyond those qualms, Cosmi can also further refine his hand usage. But even there, he shows off explosive flashes of violent hand usage and proactivity. It’s all there, but if he can learn to play with better leverage and polish, his best traits can shine through more often.

Much like Jamin Davis, Cosmi is a physical specimen who simply needs more seasoning. He has a tremendous physical foundation to build off of, and he displays flashes of the necessary cognitive traits.