Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Grading each rookie NFL Draft pick after 2019 season

By Peter Panacy

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State reacts after being chosen #2 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State reacts after being chosen #2 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Deebo Samuel, 49ers
Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Wide Receiver. Round 2. DEEBO SAMUEL. A.

There were all sorts of hints the 49ers were going to grab South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the 2019 NFL Draft. Head coach Kyle Shanahan got to coach Samuel in the 2019 Reese’s Senior Bowl, and more than a handful of Niners beat writers filmed the receiver’s work, particularly in red-zone drills.

So when San Francisco called Samuel’s name early in Round 2, it shouldn’t have been a shock.

From there, the move has been nothing but beneficial. Again, the traditional stats are more than impressive. Samuel finished the season with 802 receiving yards on 57 receptions with three touchdowns, and his receiving yards led the team at his position.

For cross reference, Hall of Famer Jerry Rice reached 927 receiving yards his rookie season back in 1985, so Samuel coming close to that mark is noteworthy enough, too.

But Samuel does have the honor of beating Rice in all-purpose yardage by adding 159 rush yards and three touchdowns, too, bringing the net total to 961. One of the best examples of this dual-threat approach was seen in San Francisco’s Week 17 win over the Seattle Seahawks, in which Samuel reached the end zone on an end-around run:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1211466058353139712

With Emmanuel Sanders providing support on the other side, Samuel’s ascent right out of the gate is a very promising development for San Francisco’s offense, not just into the playoffs, but for years to come.