The Washington Football Team selected Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday.
Washington entered Friday’s portion of the draft with three selections across the second and third rounds. The Football Team chose offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi, cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and wide receiver Dyami Brown.
It was a day that earned Washington plenty of praise from around the NFL. The team has clearly prioritized length and athleticism in this class. Character, of course, is always a determining factor for any team coached by Ron Rivera.
So, after Washington made each of its picks, Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the media to discuss Friday’s action.
Cosmi played right tackle for Texas as a freshman in 2018. He moved to left tackle for the Longhorns in each of the past two seasons. Washington’s staff love that flexibility, but Cosmi will begin his career at left tackle.
Ron Rivera says Washington will put Sam Cosmi out at left tackle and see how he competes
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 1, 2021
According to Mayhew, for those fans screaming about a wide receiver in the second round, it was a consideration. But they couldn’t pass up Cosmi, which was a smart move.
Martin Mayhew said @WashingtonNFL looked at some wide receivers in the second round, but it really felt good about tackle Samuel Cosmi. Rivera said it's hard to find quality tackles, especially on the left side, so it wanted to lock down Cosmi.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021
Rivera is happy to have Cosmi.
Ron Rivera sounds very happy to land Sam Cosmi: "Offensive tackle is such a hard position to find, especially guys who played well at that spot."
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 1, 2021
St-Juste was a bit of a mystery to many fans, but not to this staff.
Martin Mayhew said third-round CB Benjamin St-Juste really caught his eye at the Senior Bowl. Mentioned his length and size (6-foot-3)
Ron Rivera added onto that by highlighting his physicality.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021
Rivera noted how Washington received calls for the No. 74 pick. After the WFT selected St-Juste, one team informed Rivera they had wanted to move up for St-Juste.
Ron Rivera said there were several teams that called them and wanted to move up, one of which wanted to move up several spots to take CB Benjamin St-Juste.
After @WashingtonNFL picked St-Juste, the team called them and said that he was their guy, too.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021
Rivera loves what St-Juste offers.
Ron Rivera just added that St-Juste has a skillset and a body type to have position flex.
St-Juste played some free safety at the Senior Bowl after playing cornerback in college. https://t.co/tJBKwaBa6U
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021
Rivera loves what Brown brings to the offense, especially in contested-catch situations.
Ron Rivera really likes what WR Dyami Brown was able to do in contested catch situations:
"Man, when we competed for it, he went and got it."
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021
Rivera had a stat to back it up.
Ron Rivera said one of his favorite things about WR Dyami Brown is his ability to win contested catches. He cited a stat that said Brown won about 90 percent of those at UNC.
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) May 1, 2021
Overall, Rivera and Mayhew are extremely pleased with the front office and how they’ve worked together over the last few months.
Rivera and Mayhew have praised the collaborative effort that Washington has implemented over the course of the draft. This has been the plan for the front office for months, and it's working exactly the way the team hoped.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021
Thus far, it’s been a strong offseason for the defending NFC East champions, and Washington will look to further strengthen the roster on Saturday’s day three.
