Two former Texas Longhorns will be gearing up for training camp in July as they prepare for the 2024 NFL season. Both Samuel Cosmi and Roschon Johnson have tasted success and they have to be hungry for more.
Cosmi was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and was expected to be a book end blocker for the Washington Commanders offensive line. Plans and injuries have changed that course for the better. Last season, Cosmi enjoyed the most success of his short NFL career in 2023. The team will look completely different with a new staff and a Heisman Trophy winner ready to take over at quarterback.
On the flip side we have Johnson, who is coming off his rookie season with the Chicago Bears. Most of his success came in the latter part of the season. Now with virtually a whole new offense, Johnson and company should be a whole lot more dynamic.
Both former Longhorns were named among the most under-appreciated in the NFL.
Samuel Cosmi, Washington Commanders
What Tom Blair Says…
In 2021, Washington chose Cosmi with a second-round draft pick. Since then, the team has changed names, owners, head coaches, front-office leadership and quarterbacks, while Cosmi missed parts of both of his first two seasons with injuries. In 2023, though, he moved from right tackle to right guard, and things seemed to really click. PFF credited him with just one sack allowed all season, awarding him the second-highest offensive grade of the entire team. With the Dan Quinn-Jayden Daniels era about to kick off, Washington must be glad to know Cosmi has developed into a pass-protecting, run-blocking rock up front.
Moving to guard was a blessing for both Washington and Cosmi, who has had issues staying on the field due to injury. Going into the 2024 NFL season, Cosmi will be tasked with keeping the reigning Heisman Trophy Winner upright and paving holes for Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. The success in the upcoming season will likely revolve this offensive line, including the play of Samuel Cosmi.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
What Blair Says…
Johnson was probably appreciated at an appropriate level in 2023, when he was a fourth-round pick showing flashes for a stuck-in-the-mud offense, topping 50 scrimmage yards in five games and breaking off the occasional monster gain. That was before GM Ryan Poles supercharged the depth chart with attention-grabbing names like Caleb Williams, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and — most crucially for Johnson — D’Andre Swift. Don’t forget about Johnson, though. For the first time in his career last season, Swift served as a clear-cut lead back for the Eagles, and while he played well, his production also sputtered toward the end of the year. Giving Johnson a healthy share of the workload seems like a good way to bring the young back further along while perhaps keeping Swift fresher longer.
Johnson was a huge piece of the Texas backfield during his time in Austin and he is no stranger to sharing the load. He and Bijan Robinson were quite the tandem. With the talent coming in, Roschon looks to be a part of a loaded offense poised for big things once again. The Chicago running back should do a lot more than 352 yards and 2 TDs in 2024.