SF 49ers: 3 players who help Nick Mullens most in 2020

Nick Mullens Crutch No. 3: SF 49ers Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel

While last season’s breakout star is still not eligible to return until after Week 3, there’s no doubt that once wide receiver Deebo Samuel returns, he’ll be a vital part of Nick Mullens’ arsenal for the weeks that follow.

Mullens doesn’t possess the most powerful arm in the league, and so connecting on short and intermediate throws in the middle of the field will be critical.

Enter Samuel, who has excelled at that during his short time in San Francisco and could be the type of player Mullens could lean on during his time as the starting quarterback.

Yes, once Samuel does return, it will be critical the team not rush him back to a full workload. But even in short bursts, his skill set is perfect for a quarterback of Mullens’ ilk. All the quarterback needs to do is get the ball to Samuel in space and let the wideout do the rest of the work.

Samuel’s ability as a pseudo-running back will also suit Mullens quite nicely, as Kyle Shanahan can dial up the jet sweeps and end-around runs to get Mullens into a rhythm and further take advantage of Samuel’s elusiveness and short-area quickness.

It may be Jimmy Garoppolo returns before Samuel does. But if not, once the former South Carolina product is ready to go, Mullens should be able to lean on Samuel to provide for the team when he’s called upon.