When the Washington Commanders selected Sam Cosmi in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, he was supposed to be their right tackle of the future. Shortly after selecting Cosmi, Washington cut longtime right tackle Morgan Moses and signed Charles Leno Jr., who the Chicago Bears surprisingly released.
Washington’s plan was to start Leno at left tackle and Cosmi at right tackle. Leno worked out reasonably well for the Commanders over the past three seasons, while Cosmi had his ups and downs at tackle. So, over the offseason, former head coach Ron Rivera told Cosmi his future was at right guard, something Cosmi fully embraced.
How did Cosmi handle his first full season at guard? He was excellent. Per Pro Football Focus, Cosmi was one of the NFL’s highest-graded guards and allowed only one sack in 2023. Cosmi looked like a cornerstone player for new general manager Adam Peters.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently named an unsung hero/most surprising player on every NFL team. He chose Cosmi for Washington.
