Samuel Cosmi has been among the most consistent, well-balanced tackles in the nation over the past three years. After redshirting his freshman season, he protected the likes of Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger without fault. He has held a 79.7 PFF grade or higher in each season, which increased every year. Cosmi appears to be one of the blue-chip prospects in yet another solid tackle class.
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Samuel Cosmi
Jersey: #52
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: Texas
Class: RS Junior
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 309 lbs
Run Blocking (7.25/10)
In certain schemes, Cosmi looks dominant; however, he tends to get lost in others. When he can seal off an edge to create a hole, few live up to Cosmi. His anchor is solid given his mediocre height-to-weight ratio. Cosmi will not work in a zone run scheme if he cannot identify his first target. In the TCU game, there were several instances where he looked completely lost. This took Cosmi out of the play entirely. His other tape fixed this issue for the most part, but it is worth noting. A zone run scheme should be best for Cosmi, given his athleticism and stronger legs (with weaker arms, as will be discussed later). In short, when he can identify his target from the beginning, few can operate with the consistency and fluidity that Cosmi does.
Pass Blocking (7.5/10)
As stated before, Cosmi is well balanced. His pass-blocking skills are far better than his run blocking, which his PFF grade seems to support. There is one thing to note: Cosmi does not look dominant with his upper body strength. He must be commended on how consistently effective he is. There are barely any reps that seem like losses. In contrast to Teven Jenkins, however, Cosmi lacks the domination portion of a rep: he does not seem to ‘toy’ around with defenders the way Jenkins did with Joseph Ossai. That may mean that Cosmi is built for a division that lacks heavy power rushers. His TCU tape supports this, where he was outplayed by power rushers a few times. Lastly, Cosmi looks solid in maintaining control for a long time. NFL quarterbacks will appreciate the consistent blocking for sure.
Length (6.0/10)
It is hard to gauge if Cosmi’s length is subpar. It seems as if his upper body strength makes Cosmi keep his arms tighter to gain the power advantage. This makes sense, given his massive stature. There are few reps where Cosmi is ‘out-lengthed’ by a defender, but it is noteworthy that he rarely looks like he can mess with a defender at range with no repercussions. In short, Cosmi has the length to have success at the next level, but he needs to add some strength to be able to use it well in the NFL.
Footwork (8.25/10)
Cosmi shines here. He is beyond fluid as well as quick with his movements. This tends to leave Cosmi in the right position most of the time. If he is not in the right spot, it may be indicative of his processor because he has the athleticism to be in the right place at the right time. Cosmi also looks fast enough to work well in a zone scheme so long as he knows who to block (or seals the edge).
Hands (6.25/10)
Cosmi consistently keeps his hands under the shoulder pads when he punches. That is wonderful in an NFL where referees look for hands outside the chest plate. It is critical to note that when he fails to get his hands in a position, he uses his shoulder to add hit power. This may prove fatal in the NFL, where pass-rushers may be athletic enough to evade the hit and get easily around for a sack.
IQ (6.0/10)
For the most part, Cosmi knows what is going on (especially in pass protection). There were plenty of instances where he picked up blitz packages. His main problem lies in the run game. It was described before how Cosmi tends to get lost during some plays. He also tends to break to the next level extremely quickly, leaving the rusher exposed to one or more defenders before the line of scrimmage. This popped up a noticeable number of times. Maybe this will be a great thing in a much faster-paced NFL, but for now, it is a red flag.
Athleticism (7.5/10)
As stated before, Cosmi has excellent foot speed and fluidity. His problem lies in his arm strength. Cosmi appears to not jolt defenders the way Jenkins would. This said, he is far from weak by any stretch of the imagination. Cosmi may look weak in his upper body due to his great lower body strength. The burst and power generated from his legs are noticeable. This leads to him being able to pancake players when he is on the move or in position when the defender usually is bending around a tackle. As long as Cosmi is not playing against Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald, he should be fine.
Power at the Point of Attack (6.75/10)
Again, Cosmi is no Jenkins, but he is powerful enough. He engages well with blocks and maintains control. Cosmi does not look like a freight train, but he is solid in both the pass and run. He was pushed back in the TCU game, which was mentioned prior. The pancake blocks that he gets comes from his legs and not the power of his arms.
Positional Versatility (8.5/10)
49ers head scout RJ Gillen heavily considered Cosmi to be a potential guard prospect in a personal private interview. This does not seem to be the case given the comfortability Cosmi has in his form as a tackle; however, his speed could translate well to a pulling guard or zone run guard. In short, Cosmi should stay at tackle, but his athleticism allows him to move elsewhere. He did play right tackle in his RS Freshman year and then replaced Connor Williams at left tackle the year after.
Competitive Toughness (4.0/5)
Cosmi is usually playing at a high level. The problem lies in the fact that there are multiple plays where he gives up before the play is over. This may either be a personality issue or simply a lack of awareness of what is going on behind him. Either way, it is something to watch, albeit minor.
Injury (5/5)
The injury sheet appears clean for Cosmi.
Player Summary
As long as Cosmi can tell who he is going to block before the snap, he will be just fine regardless of scheme. His build, along with his athleticism, provides a solid base for a potential day one starter for most teams. Given that his frame isn’t maxed out, some teams may be high on the potential of Cosmi with an extra 10-15 lbs of muscle. In short, for him to work in a zone scheme, Cosmi will need a high IQ center or quarterback to identify the correct coverage package. It is worrisome to see him get lost on certain plays. Only time will tell whether these slip-ups become a big problem for Cosmi and a big threat to the longevity of his career. For now, the hype is real: Cosmi is a well-balanced, high ceiling tackle worth taking mid-round 1.
Final Grade (73/100): Mid-First Round
Player Comp: Alejandro Villanueva
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Alex Barbour on Twitter @alexxbarbour
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
3 Responses