The Washington Commanders selected former Texas offensive tackle Sam Cosmi in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, hoping he’d be one of their bookend tackles of the future.
Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out as planned for Cosmi and the Commanders. It’s not that Cosmi has been bad — he hasn’t — but injuries and struggles in pass protection have plagued him in the early stages of his NFL career.
Last season, the Commanders moved Cosmi inside to guard. They felt his size and athleticism could reinvigorate his career. A dominant run blocker at times, Washington thinks moving inside will benefit Cosmi in pass protection, too.
Pro Football Focus has been kind to Cosmi through his first two seasons, primarily due to his run-blocking. PFF believes Cosmi could be a breakout candidate in 2023.
Playing more than 450 snaps in each of his first two seasons in the league, Cosmi has produced 70.0-plus PFF grades in both years. Most of his work so far has come at tackle, but there’s nothing that we’ve seen to suggest that he won’t be a success now that he’s kicking inside to guard. He’s graded higher as a run blocker than as a pass blocker in the NFL, so the position move should serve him well.
The Commanders signed Andrew Wylie to play right tackle. Wylie is also athletic, something new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy knows all too well. Washington hopes the combination of Wylie and Cosmi solidifies the right side of the offensive line for the foreseeable future.
