The Washington Commanders had high hopes for Sam Cosmi when they selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Texas. Cosmi had a rough start at training camp battling Montez Sweat and Chase Young but slowly settled down and finished camp on a strong note.
It earned Cosmi a starting position at right tackle as a rookie.
Cosmi had his ups and downs as a rookie. He looked dominant at times as a run blocker but did have some issues in pass protection. Cosmi’s biggest problem was staying healthy. Two different injuries cost eight games from his rookie season.
Injuries again hampered Cosmi in 2022, leading the Commanders to turn to Cornelius Lucas at right tackle. Instead of keeping Cosmi on the bench, Washington played Cosmi at guard, where he performed reasonably well.
The Commanders headed into this offseason planning to start Cosmi at guard and find a right tackle. The goal was to improve two positions at once. That led Washington to sign former Kansas City Chief Andrew Wylie to play right tackle, with Cosmi penciled in at right guard.
Head coach Ron Rivera recently spoke of Cosmi’s willingness to play either tackle or guard.
“Was really good just because of the fact that knowing that he was up to it and whether it was at tackle or guard, he was more than willing to play either spot,” Rivera said.
“And what it did was it really helped us in terms of going out and seeing if we can get [OT] Andrew [Wylie], knowing that Andrew would come in and be able to play the right tackle position. [The] nice thing about Andrew, though, is he could play either side as well as guard but knowing that Sam was up to it and we just feel with Sam’s athleticism as a guard, you know, it would be a real big plus for us. So, it’s been good for him. I know it’s been good for him because you can see it on tape. And also, just developing the rapport with one guy right now has been, I think also another thing that’s helped him.”
That type of versatility is good to have, as it increases depth across the offensive line. Depth has been an issue for the Commanders recently. specifically on the interior.
Cosmi has the tools to be a Pro Bowl guard. He has the size, power and athleticism. For Cosmi, it’s been about staying healthy and utilizing proper technique. If he can put that all together in 2023, the Commanders have found their right guard for the foreseeable future.
