2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report

January 23, 2021 1:00 AM EST

Evaluated by: Brad Kelly
bradleymkelly@yahoo.com
January 23, 2021

Prospect Overview

2018: 14 games played (13 starts)
2019: 13 games played (13 starts)
2020: 8 games played (8 starts)

A native of Humble, Texas, Samuel Cosmi was originally committed to Houston before flipping to Texas to follow head coach Tom Herman. Cosmi's recruiting really took off after an impressive performance against K'Lavon Chaisson in the Texas high school playoffs, and he parlayed that into a dominant senior season (66 pancakes, 0 sacks allowed on 445 pass blocking snaps).

At Texas, he redshirted during the 2017 season before becoming a full-time starter as a redshirt freshman in 2018. Cosmi would start 13 games at right tackle, being named Freshman All-American. The rest of his career was spent on the left side, as he would start another 21 games before opting out late in the 2020 season once Texas was out of contention to win the Big 12. He earned 1st-Team All-Big 12 honors and was named 2nd team All-American by CBS Sports. He's allowed just 6 quarterback sacks throughout his collegiate career, on 1,530 pass blocking snaps.

Positives

Cosmi's athleticism initially sticks out on his tape. An easy, natural mover, he has swift feet and can function in space with ease. He's built more lean than the typical offensive tackle prospect, and can continue to fill out his frame upon entering the NFL. There have been reps where Cosmi pulls to the edge, getting nearly 20 yards downfield and being quick and agile enough to block defensive backs in space. His mobility pops on outside zone runs, as he can be explosive out of his stance in order to reach defensive lineman and have them out-leveraged early in the play. He does an excellent job of fighting to stay square, working through defensive lineman and climbing to the second level.

Cosmi wants to finish plays by getting the defender on the ground, and he's powerful when he gets his hands inside. He's able to anchor and recoil pass rushers, often sinking his hips but eventually driving the pass rusher back towards the line of scrimmage. For an offensive lineman that doesn't currently hold 320+ pounds, Cosmi can play with a nasty streak and is effective because of his natural explosiveness.

Cosmi's background as a wrestler often shows up on his film, as he has a feel for body leverage and movements. When a defensive lineman overextends, Cosmi will chop their hands down and send them face first into the turf. When the pass rusher is pressing too hard to turn the corner, Cosmi will lower his center of gravity and run them around the hoop, often resulting in the pass rusher on the ground once again. Cosmi has developed counters for the long-arm and spin moves by pass rusher, almost seeing them coming before they happen.

Cosmi has nearly impeccable timing with his punches in pass protection, never shooting his hands too early and getting out of proper position and balance.

Areas for Improvement

Cosmi has concerning technical issues with his footwork and hand placement that may cost him early in his NFL career. To this point as a football player, Cosmi has rarely been the inferior athlete against his opponent, but that situation will eventually arise at the next level. Occasionally, Cosmi will come out of stance with his feet too close together, resulting in poor pad level and a slow trigger to blocking inside moves. That is where Cosmi is vulnerable, and he doesn’t have the natural body weight to handle pass rushers when his angle is beat and he’s late to contact. His footwork and lower body strength need to improve in order to be more consistent against inside moves, despite his combination of athleticism and explosiveness.

Cosmi has yet to really grasp independent hands in pass protection, as he can often get out of his stance with his hands too low and shoot them simultaneously. While this can be effective, there is an obvious over-reliance on it on his film.

Draft Stock

Cosmi entered the college football season as a potential first-round pick, and his draft stock has mostly held steady in that regard. With experience and his projection at both right and left tackle, he can be an option for nearly every team looking for youth at the position. Ideally, Cosmi may be better off as a right tackle while he cleans up his footwork and continues to develop physically. In the NFL, the difference in difficulty between right and left tackle is minor, but the quarterback’s eyes can allow them to escape or avoid pressure coming from the right side a bit easier. .

As a team captain with no off-field issue and a promising profile as both a run and pass blocker, Cosmi feels like a clean prospect who can start in the NFL right away, making him an option for teams in the second-half of the first round that are hoping to immediately compete for a Super Bowl. Prospects who are potential franchise left tackle’s don’t grow on trees, and Cosmi fits that label. Expect him to be in the mix to be one of the first 4-5 offensive tackles drafted.

Player Comparison

Charles Leno Jr. may have been a late round pick, but he developed well in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. An athletic, occasionally finesse type offensive tackle, Leno's pass protection and mean streak improved year by year. He has currently started 93 consecutive games, accumulating over 6,000 snaps in that time. His peak performance, only allowing 24 pressures in 16 games in 2017 and being named a pro bowler in 2018, is where I see Samuel Cosmi landing in the NFL. Just except Cosmi to reach that level quicker than Charles Leno Jr. did.

Games Evaluated

• Iowa State (2020)
• Baylor (2020)
• TCU (2020)
• Utah (2019)
• LSU (2019)

Notes from Film

• Use second and third level pass rushers against Cosmi at your own peril, as he’s quick enough to mirror them and immediately powerful enough to bury them
• Strong anchor when he’s bull rushed, mobility and flexibility aren’t a question
• Has flashed an impressive vertical set, getting out of his stance and two feet in the ground before the defender has really gotten into their rush
• Strong motor. There were plays where he was beat but stuck with it and eventually made a block as his quarterback extended the play
• Team captain who was a leader of the Texas Longhorns program
• Really in control in his pass set against true edge pass rushing reps
• His film was littered with impressive reach blocks on the backside of zone runs
• Length is an advantage in pass protection, as he’s able to create space when full extended into defensive lineman
• Heady player who is rarely out of position due to pass rush stunts

Scouting Video Courtesy of Tale of the Tape