49ers 2019 NFL Draft: 3 things to know about Deebo Samuel

With the San Francisco 49ers selecting Deebo Samuel No. 36 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, here’s three things to know about one of the Niners’ newest recruits.

It came with no surprise when the San Francisco 49ers selected a wide receiver with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. And, it came with even less surprise when that pick turned out to be Deebo Samuel out of South Carolina.

He had long since been a favorite to be selected by the 49ers, with wide receivers A.J. Brown and N’Keal Harry also reported to have been high on the Niners’ list of receivers in which to snatch up. And, it’s not hard to see why head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch fell in love with Samuel.

Having spent time with the rookie during the Senior Bowl while on Shanahan’s South team, the Niners had the opportunity to put Samuel through his paces and had the rare opportunity to spend extended one-on-one time with the receiver.

By all accounts, Samuel’s week in training leading up to the Senior Bowl was not wasted. With many scouts and beat writers proclaiming just how good he was and the amount of effort he had put into each individual session.

In his 2019 NFL Draft Day 2 presser, Lynch made it quite clear that Samuel had been on the 49ers’ radar for some time:

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“I think when we saw [WR] Deebo Samuel, we saw a player we got real familiar with down at the Senior Bowl,” Lynch said. “But more than anything, you just turn this guy’s game tape on and you see I think one of the elite competitors in college football this year that I saw.”

With Samuel now likely to become one of Shanahan’s key offensive pieces, what are some of the things we need to know about the rookie receiver who may just be able to add some zing to the 49ers’ receiving corps.

Samuel is built for Shanahan’s offense

While he doesn’t possess the height many thought the 49ers were in desperate need of, something they addressed with their third-round pick of wide receiver Jalen Hurd, Samuel possesses many of the key attributes that Shanahan see’s as vital for a receiver.

Coming in at 5-foot-11 and 214 pounds, he has fantastic speed, aggressively contests catches and gets after the ball. He utilizes his quickness to gain valuable yards after the catch, a trait that is always looked upon favorably.

To go along with his speed and yards after the catch, Samuel has a highly sort after and unique ability to separate from defenders in a relatively short distance. This was highlighted while training in the lead up to the Senior Bowl:

“He’s got real juice. He can catch the ball and break away,” Lynch continued. “He’s a thick guy. Not overly tall, you know, at 5-11 1/2, but I think he plays big. He’s strong, but he’s got juice to pull away from people and he can break tackles.”

He is a skilled route runner, something Shanahan also places tremendous value in and has the reliability with his hands to hold onto the ball.