Commanders NFL Draft: Pick Moves Sam Cosmi to Backup Role?

There are a lot of directions the Washington Commanders could go in the NFL Draft. One recent NFL.com mock says the team could move Sam Cosmi from starting right tackle and guard sub into a full-time backup.

Mock drafting for teams like the Washington Commanders is a lot like play-calling. 

The aim is to be somewhat balanced and not dump all of your Commanders draft capital into one side of the ball or the other. 

Sometimes, that task is a tricky one considering the talent available may draw you too far in one direction or the other. 

NFL.com didn't have that problem in a recent four-round mock NFL Draft, however, landing two offensive contributors and two defensive players with the team's first four picks of the weekend. …

Starting with guard O'Cyrus Torrence from the Florida Gators in the first round. 

"It is possible the Commanders will use 2021 second-round pick Sam Cosmi at right guard," NFL.com says. "But I believe new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would love to see Torrence moving run defenders after watching Trey Smith do just that in Kansas City. In this scenario, Cosmi could take over the important swing tackle position."

The addition of offensive tackle Andrew Wylie during free agency has presumably pushed Cosmi inside to guard, but here the league's media site speculates he could be pushed all the way out of the starting lineup completely. 

While that would be a worst-case scenario for Cosmi, the more likely avenue Washington would take is to open a competition for the two guard spots between himself, Torrence, and veteran Andrew Norwell who was a free-agent pickup from the Jacksonville Jaguars last offseason.

While Torrence led off the picks, in this four-round mock the Commanders got even more help with second-round tight end Luke Musgrave out of Oregon State. 

But it wasn't all offense in this projections collection. 

In the third round, with the No. 97 overall pick, Washington finally went defense by selecting Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III. 

"Phillips might not be a big, long cornerback, but he's a playmaker," Phillips' NFL.com draft profile says. "He's a voracious student of the game and has developed a feel for reading the quarterback's drops and eyes...He should become a solid nickel cornerback, but his success could be tethered to matchups from week to week."

Finally, the mock draft finishes up with the Commanders going defense again in the fourth round, selecting Wisconsin edge defender Nick Herbig.

Herbig has been projected by some to potentially move into a full-time off-ball linebacker role or will need to get stronger and potentially add good weight to stay on Washington's defensive line.

Overall, it would not be a bad beginning to the NFL Draft for the Commanders if it were to unfold this way. 

And in just over a month, we'll find out if it will.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

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