Washington Football Team: Samuel Cosmi should thrive after early camp struggles

In the past 25 NFL Drafts, the Washington Football Team franchise has picked five offensive linemen inside the first two rounds. The reason the first two rounds are crucial is because players drafted so highly are expected to start, or at least contribute rather quickly.

Hulking rookie tackle Samuel Cosmi is one of the five offensive lineman that was selected by Washington. Also included on the list is Brandon Scherff, Trent Williams, Chris Samuels, and Jon Jansen.

While all noted above achieved varied success with the burgundy and gold, they have combined for 18  career Pro Bowls, one First-team All-Pro, and two Second-team All-Pro’s. In the case of Chris Samuels, he was chosen as one of the 80 greatest players in team history, and was inducted into the Washington Football Team Ring of Fame midway through the 2019 season.

You may be thinking to yourself, why does this matter, and what does it have to do with Cosmi?

Technically, the success of former Washington picks has nothing to do with Cosmi. What matters is that each prominent player experienced their own share of growing pains early on before becoming key contributors. Being a highly promising prospect doesn’t mean a player won’t face a steep initial learning curve.

During the two weeks of training camp, Samuel Cosmi has faced his share of challenges. In the realm of social media, the mention of him facing adversity in camp has caused some hesitation with the team’s followers.

See a quick snippet of his documented struggles, as chronicled by The Athletic’s Rhiannon Walker.

Are Cosmi’s early camp struggles a cause for concern?

Simply put, there is no reason to be concerned as of yet with early struggles from the former Texas standout. Or, if that’s not easy enough, non, nein, or nej. If you don’t know any other languages, you have just learned how to say “no” in French, German, and Swedish.

Moving back to football, Samuel Cosmi had a track record as a Longhorn lineman that was admirable. He displayed high-end traits that should translate well to the NFL. His athletic prowess, in particular, is off the charts.

According to Kent Lee Plate, creator of the Relative Athletic Score formula, Cosmi scored a 9.99 out of 10 on his pre-draft testing. This uncanny number would put the 6-foot-6, 309 pounder at number two out of 117 tackles from 1987 through 2021.

Yes, it is understood that elite athleticism doesn’t always translate to the football field. However, it will give Cosmi a special tool to work with as he seeks to keep up with some of the league’s more outstanding edge rushers.

The Football Team arguably has an embarrassment of riches along its defensive front. Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, and Tim Settle are ultimate creators of havoc. Hey rookie, welcome to the NFL.

Take a glimpse at one of those welcoming moments below, via the Sports Journey’s Lake Lewis Jr.

In all fairness to the Humble, Texas native Cosmi is being routinely tested in training camp by a defense that was ranked top five in 2020. It would be premature to sour on the promising young talent based on a minuscule amount of practice time against an exceptional opposing unit.

Ultimately, Cosmi has high-end tools to work with, and he’s getting to prepare everyday against a defense that will only help him get better. The 22-year-old is one of many in team history that have experienced a rough transition from college to the professional level.

The Football Team has a solid track record of drafting quality offensive lineman in the early rounds through the past two decades, and Cosmi should be no exception to the trend.

As always, thank you for reading this article. Please continue to stick with us here at Riggo’s Rag for constant coverage on all things Washington Football.