The key to success in an NFL offense is found within the trenches. It’s starts with a franchise left tackle that can protect a quarterback’s blindside. If he can anchor in pass protection and drive through defensive lineman to create gaps in run blocking, he’ll be coveted in the NFL Draft. At the University of Texas, they have a player capable of doing just that in Samuel Cosmi.
In this article, we’ll examine some background on Cosmi and find out how he found his way to the University of Texas. Next, we’ll turn on the tape as we breakdown his game film and look at his strengths and weaknesses. Finally, We’ll get into some 2021 NFL Draft talk as we look at whether or not he should declare, as well as where he would be selected if he decides to do so.
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The Background
Samuel Cosmi played football at Atascocita High School in the greater Houston, Texas area where he was all-state and a two-time all-district honoree. The Houston Chronicle had Cosmi listed as the 35th best high school player in their top 100. He was a consensus three-star prospect out of the state of Texas. Prior to committing to the University of Texas, Samuel Cosmi had committed to the University of Houston. At the end of January 2017, Cosmi decommitted from UH and signed a letter of intent with Texas. He officially enrolled in June of 2017.
Samuel Cosmi spent the 2017 season as a redshirt for Texas. In 2018, Cosmi started 13 games, but played in 14, at right tackle for the Longhorns. He was a freshman All-American and was an honorable mention as the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
The 2019 season saw Samuel Cosmi spend time at left tackle for Texas. He was a first-team selection on Pro Football Focus’ Big 12 Team of the Year, earned second-team all-Big 12 honors, and was an honorable mention for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Prior to the 2020 season, he earned preseason first-team all-American honors from Walter Camp, and a second-team all-American by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.
What I Like About Samuel Cosmi
As with all of our scouting reports, we like to include some game film to breakdown strengths and weaknesses in a prospect’s game. Below, you’ll find a few clips that highlight what Samuel Cosmi does so well for Texas. He’ll be playing the left tackle position for the Longhorns. For the first game, we head to Fort Worth for a conference matchup against TCU.
Pull Blocking Ability
Below, you’ll see Samuel Cosmi execute what’s referred to as a ‘pull block’. He displays solid quickness out of his stance, and while he’s not the most agile offensive tackle, he does a nice job of getting through the mud. Once he’s out in space, Cosmi is able to execute a solid block on the inside linebacker. Had the wide receiver at the bottom of the screen picked up the cornerback, this ball likely would have been head to the house for a touchdown.
Ability To Handle Speed Off The Edge
As you’ll see down below, the cornerback is running a blitz, which puts the pressure on Samuel Cosmi. However, he’s able to handle both defensive players as he allows the quarterback to make throw from a clean pocket. This play looks rather simple from Cosmi, but it’s far from simple to execute efficiently.
Drive and Steer In Run Blocking
Off the snap, Samuel Cosmi maintains a low pad level as he drives through the defensive lineman. He keeps his feet moving and locks his upper body as he steers the defender and, along with the left guard, creates a large gap for the running back. In this game, Cosmi struggled to maintain balance, but this was a fantastic effort from him.
What I Dislike About Samuel Cosmi
On the previous page, we highlighted strengths in Samuel Cosmi’s abilities. Down below, we’ll breakdown some weaknesses and examine what he can do better. For the first clip, we’ll stay in Austin as the Longhorns host the University of Kansas.
Aggressive Use of Hands and Balance
The clip below, in all honesty, is just a bad rep for Samuel Cosmi. At the snap, I don’t think he’s aggressive enough with his hands and allows the defender to establish leverage inside as he bats down Cosmi’s arm. Additionally, Cosmi leans into the block and is knocked off-balance, which eventually leads to a sack.
Blocking Efficiency At The Second Level
As you’ll see below, Cosmi displays quickness off the line of scrimmage to get to his block before the running back can hit the gap. However, he’s not maintaining a low center of gravity or balance as he approaches the linebacker. Rather, the defender is able to make a quick move inside and stop the run at the line of scrimmage.
The Competition
In my opinion, Samuel Cosmi is a second to third round 2021 NFL Draft prospect for the University of Texas. Depending on how the draft board shakes out, we could see somewhere between three to five offensive tackles off the board in the first round. There are several tackles in the same position as Cosmi, such as Jackson Carman from Clemson and Walker Little from Stanford.
With the Big Ten and Pac-12 opting out of the fall football season, this could heliport Samuel Cosmi quite a bit. If he’s able to put together a breakout season for UT and develop into an anchor at left tackle, he could become a mid first round prospect.
However, there are several draft prospects in the late third round range that could leapfrog Samuel Cosmi should he show struggles at the position. If he wants to avoid this, he’ll need to clean up some simple mistakes in his play ability.
The Verdict
Samuel Cosmi has all the tools for the University of Texas. In my opinion, he has the abilities to develop into a franchise offensive tackle in the National Football League. If he declares for the 2021 NFL Draft, franchises could start him out at right tackle as they await for him to develop further.
While I do believe that he’s much better as a run blocker, Samuel Cosmi displays traits and abilities that NFL franchises can build upon. Simply put, he’s a raw prospect, but an empty canvas for a front office. I don’t doubt that he’ll become a left tackle in the league, I just question when it will happen.
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