NFL
San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel’s Future Outlook
Deebo Samuel will miss around four months with a broken foot. Despite his injury, the former SEC star is expected to still have a massive impact in 2020
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During a players-only throwing sessions in Nashville, Deebo Samuel unfortunately broke his foot and will be out 12-16 weeks. The 24-year-old will be required to have a quick turnaround to get ready for the 2020 season as he’s expected to miss all offseason team activities and a portion of the regular season (if it starts on time). This is a tough break for the multi-dimensional offensive threat, but let’s evaluate how the 49ers are equipped to withstand his absence and where Samuel goes from here.
UPDATE: San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel will miss the next 12-16 weeks after suffering a broken foot (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/pgfiJY6dkO
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 18, 2020
Deebo Samuel missed 10 games at South Carolina with a Hamstring injury and also suffered a broken leg in 2017 causing him to miss nine more games. Despite the numerous injuries, Samuel proved to be a touchdown threat every time he touched the ball in college as he scored 16 receiving, seven rushing, and four Kickoff Return TD’s in his limited action. Despite his clear game-changing abilities, Samuel fell to the 36th pick of the 2019 draft largely due to the aforementioned injury history.
As a Rookie, Deebo Samuel burst on the scene and quickly became the #1 WR target in San Francisco. Samuel can do it all on the football field and is a legitimate big-play threat every time he touches the ball. Therefore, the 49ers found a multitude of ways to get their best playmaker the ball, whether it was through reverses, jet sweeps, or screens, Deebo always found a way to keep the defense on their toes. As the season progressed and the 49ers continued to dominate, the more people heard Samuel making big plays and taking over parts of games.
Samuel couldn’t have asked to be in a better system (designed by Kyle Shanahan) which prioritizes getting the ball in his hands quickly and allows him to make things happen. Samuel also benefits from one of the best overall rushing attacks in the NFL, which allows Garropolo to win off a lot of play action and intermediate throws. Samuel’s combination of size, speed, and physicality allows him to line up all over the field, giving him a leg up on his San Francisco counterparts.
With Deebo Samuel sidelined with a foot injury, he has time to work on the biggest flaw in his game: catching the football. Samuel tied for second in the NFL with 10 drops and had the fourth-worst drop rate in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Even though he ranked near the bottom of the league in drops, he also ranked top-10 in Passer Rating when targeted and broken tackles amongst WRs.
Once Samuel cleans up the drops, the sky is the limit for the South Carolina product because of his creativity and lethal impact as a ball-carrier. This isn’t Samuel’s first time dealing with injuries as it took over a large portion of his college career, but they don’t call him Deebo for no reason (real name is Tyshun). A healthy Samuel can develop into a top tier-caliber player, especially in Kyle Shanahan’s offense that will take advantage of his strengths perfectly.
FUTURE OUTLOOK: A- (Pro Bowl-caliber player)
The 49ers Wide Receiver room was one of the youngest position groups in 2019 and it’s gotten even younger. The 49ers addressed the loss of Emmanuel Sanders and Marquise Goodwin by selecting Brandon Aiyuk out of Arizona State in the first round and Jauan Jennings out of Tennessee in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Aiyuk and Jennings add on to the loaded potential this WR group boasts, but it makes fans question why GM John Lynch is pouring so much into this position group.
The 49ers traded up six spots to select Brandon Aiyuk with the 25th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Although he doesn’t get to benefit from a full offseason, Aiyuk is expected to contribute right away and will be the first person the 49ers look to with Deebo Samuel unlikely to start the season. The Arizona State product fits the 49ers mold of skill players that have speed and don’t need a lot of help to make explosive plays happen. Aiyuk is very similar to Samuel when it comes to his creativity, yards after the catch (YAC), and the ability to make big plays in the open field.
Dante Pettis was selected in the second round of the 2018 draft and had a relatively strong rookie season with 467 yards and five touchdowns despite missing four games with an MCL injury. The Washington alum started in 2018 but lost most of his reps to the progressing Kendrick Bourne during the 2019 season. Bourne went undrafted out of Eastern Washington (FCS) but a lot of teams now regret passing on the 24-year-old. Bourne has developed into a polished receiver that would have a bigger role on most teams, but he’s still found a way to reach the end zone nine times during the past two seasons in a crowded 49ers WR room.
Jalen Hurd was a five-star recruit at RB that elected to attend Tennessee where he was the starting RB for three years. Hurd rushed for 2,184 yards and 17 Touchdowns during his first two years in Knoxville and got even more carries than Alvin Kamara in 2016. Nevertheless, Hurd saw his calling card at WR so he transferred to Baylor and had 946 Receiving yards as a first-time receiver. Coming in at 6’4 220 pounds, the former Running Back continues to be a bruiser with the ball in his hands after the catch. Unfortunately, Hurd missed his entire rookie season with a stress fracture in his back but he’s ready to display his physical play out wide. Hurd could be a breakout candidate in 2020.
The other Tennessee alum, Jauan Jennings was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, falling due to his disappointing 4.72 40 yard dash time. However, Jennings ranked third in overall PFF grade since 2018 among WR in a very talented SEC. Jennings is a load to bring down with his prototypical size at 6’3, but what separates him is the way he plays with relentless effort, attitude, and grit.
Entering his third NFL season, Richie James has had a very minimal impact as a receiver in the league and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. Although James has a good chance of making the roster because of his return skills, he could easily be replaced at any moment. After missing the 2019 season with a foot injury and losing the primary Punt Return role to Richie James, Trent Taylor is in even major danger of losing his job. With Taylor’s only impact coming from the slot and his touches decreasing from 43 (2017) to 26 (2018) to 0 (2019), he will have to provide value in a multitude of ways if he wants to continue playing ball in the Bay.
Travis Benjamin is the unquestioned Veteran in the group as he’s the only player with more than four NFL seasons under his belt. Benjamin’s career peaked in 2015 when he went for 966 yards and five TDs in Cleveland, but he’s struggled since then. Benjamin’s chances of making the roster are highly based on the younger wideouts’ signs of development in camp/preseason.
The 49ers have drafted seven WRs in the last four seasons as they continue to find high-valued WR’s at great spots in the draft. It’s important to note that each of their lackluster production in SF so far has been largely impacted by the wealth of talent taking their snaps/targets. The Niners also have weapons out of the backfield that get a quality amount of targets like Kyle Juszczyk, Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, and the typically injured Jerick McKinnon.
Most importantly, George Kittle is not listed at this position and he gets the most targets amongst any offensive player in northern California. On top of that, The 49ers WR’s are coached by the likes of Passing Game Coordinator Mike LaFleur (younger brother of Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur), 2x Pro Bowl WR Miles Austin, and slot legend Wes Welker. The 49ers have a lot to look forward to as their Wide Receivers of the future are already on the roster and only getting better.
49ERS WR OUTLOOK: B+ (Wealth of young talent but no surefire star)
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