Jimmy Garoppolo: Predicting 49ers QB’s 5 favorite targets in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 3 49ers Target for Jimmy Garoppolo: Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel was likely heading towards being a breakout star in 2020 before suffering his foot fracture.
His recovery is looking good, as Samuel showed seven weeks post surgery:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDsCjsMJpbA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
Yet it’s highly likely Samuel won’t be close to 100 percent when the regular season kicks off. And once it does, it might take an additional week or two to get him up to game speed. There’s a strong likelihood he ends up falling short of the impressive 802 receiving yards he posted his rookie year.
That said, the bulk of Samuel’s receiving yards took place in the second half of the season after the 49ers acquired veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders’ presence drew attention away from Samuel, and he managed 575 of those 802 yards in the months of November and December.
So, even if Samuel does return late, it’s highly probable Jimmy Garoppolo will want to build on the production enjoyed last year.
Especially when looking at Samuel’s 484 yards after the catch during the regular season.