San Francisco 49ers: Grading the 2019 NFL Draft class
By Justin Fried
Round 2 (36th Overall) — Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
After solidifying a strength with their first pick, the 49ers decided to improve upon a weakness with their selection of wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the second round.
The 49ers entered the draft desperately needing help at the position after a 2018 season in which no receiver totaled more than 500 receiving yards. Now, injuries certainly played a part in that, but it’s still concerning nonetheless.
Samuel is an intriguing prospect who should be asked to do a variety of different things in head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. The South Carolina product is a shifty, superb route runner who excels after the catch when he could move in open space.
While some have pigeonholed him as simply a slot receiver, Samuel has the ability to play on the outside if he could work on his initial release a bit more. Too often he found himself getting jammed at the line of scrimmage while playing for South Carolina which is why many analysts have projected him as more of a slot guy.
Still, his skill set should mesh well with the likes of Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis, Kendrick Bourne, and Jordan Matthews who will help round out a hopefully improved 49ers receiving core. Factor in the addition of the next entry on our list and there’s the potential for a really solid group of receivers.
That said, this selection could be considered a slight reach and it’s worth noting that there were other receivers on the board who could have been more appealing such as Ole Miss’ A.J. Brown. Regardless, Shanahan was able to get an up-close look at Samuel during this year’s Senior Bowl and he clearly liked what he saw, making this pick a bit more sensible.
Perhaps not the highest upside you look for in a top-40 pick, but Samuel should still be a solid contributor on offense even if he never becomes a true No. 1 receiver.