Steelers draft fit in first round: Texas OT Samuel Cosmi

The Steelers have a need at offensive tackle and Samuel Cosmi could be that guy. Here’s why he might be the tackle of the future for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers are in a big transition point in their offensive line and it would help to add a piece in the first round. Although it is hard to say who the Steelers will be able to find with limited funds in free agency in the next month before the draft, it is clear that rebuilding their offensive line is a priority this offseason. They have made some minor moves like signing Zach Banner and B.J. Finney, but there is still some work to be done on the offensive line. It would be nice in this draft to get an offensive tackle because the 2021 draft class seems to be loaded at the position. Samuel Cosmi might be the best option at 24.

One thing that I really like about Cosmi is that he is a great athlete and that is the type of player the Steelers gravitate to in the first round. You can’t tell me the team that drafted Terrell Edmunds in the first round and Chase Claypool in the second round won’t take some risks to get a top-line athlete. This line of logic certainly worked when they drafted T.J. Watt in 2017.

Cosmi had a great Pro Day and that means he tested well in an offseason where the NFL combine was canceled. The Longhorns offensive tackle showed strength and athleticism at Texas’ Pro Day by doing 36 reps on the bench, running a 4.84 40 (as an offensive lineman), and a short shuttle of 4.39. He also had a broad jump of 9’9”. This puts him in the elite category as far as testing goes.

Cosmi is also just good from a height and weight standpoint. He is 6’6” and 314 pounds which is heavier than his listed playing weight in 2020, and he meets the threshold for length to stick at the offensive tackle position. He already has added some strength and could add more with his frame.

Cosmi is a great fit for Steelers

Cosmi’s tape also checks out and he shows that he is good enough to compete if the Steelers want to try him at left tackle from day one. He is a good pass blocker who has a decent kick slide which should keep him as a tackle at the NFL level. In addition, the athletic offensive tackle is able to run block in a zone-blocking scheme which is something the Steelers have done in recent years. He also is able to sustain blocks once he gets his hands on the pass rusher.

In 2019, Cosmi won the right tackle job for the Longhorns and could have entered the draft as a redshirt sophomore. He decided to go back to Austin for his junior year and it paid off as now he is in the first round picture.

Cosmi is a great prospect and is in play for the Steelers at 24. He could potentially fall that far in the draft because there are plenty of more accomplished tackles that will go in the first round like Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw. I think if the Steelers draft him, he has a chance to develop into a top-10 left tackle in the NFL for Pittsburgh.