Washington Football Team: 3 players who earned Week 1 playing time in preseason opener
By Jerry Trotta
2. Sam Cosmi
When the Football Team drafted Sam Cosmi in the second round back in April, many reporters assumed he’d become Trent Williams’ heir apparent at left tackle.
Then, however, Washington pounced on vet Charles Leno after his surprise release from the Bears. With three starting-caliber tackles on the roster, WFT understandably cut Morgan Moses, paving the way for Cosmi to become the full-time starter at right tackle as a rookie.
After a rough start to training camp, Cosmi slowly started showing that he belonged and he carried that momentum into Thursday’s preseason opener. Though the former Longhorn nearly gave up a sack on his first drive, it was smooth sailing from there on out.
Sam Cosmi does an excellent job working outside-in on this stunt. Identifies the outside threat looping inside so he picks up the IDL and completely changed his trajectory. Grown man strength. pic.twitter.com/3rcN6LxryZ
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) August 14, 2021
In fact, Cosmi was the highest-graded rookie on the field, according to Pro Football Focus, finishing with a stellar 81.8 grade. He clearly found more success in the run game than passing game — which might be a theme during his rookie season– but he’ll only get better in pass protection with more playing time, and he figures to get plenty of that in Year 1.
If Cosmi wasn’t already a shoe-in starter for Week 1, he certainly is now.