49ers news: Bill Belichick wanted N’Keal Harry over Deebo Samuel

According to a report by Sports Illustrated, the 49ers were gifted Deebo Samuel in 2019 thanks to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ignoring his scouts and wanting N’Keal Harry instead.

The San Francisco 49ers got their hands on a budding star in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft when they selected former South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel at No. 36 overall.

Samuel went on to become one of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s most vaunted offensive weapons during the Niners’ Super Bowl run that year, and Samuel figures to be a dynamic counterpart to a pass-catching tandem featuring tight end George Kittle and second-year wideout Brandon Aiyuk entering 2021.

Except it probably shouldn’t have fallen out that way.

The MMQB’s Albert Breer highlighted some quotes from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, specifically looking back at the 2019 draft when the Pats owned the final pick in Round 1. In the assessment, Breer broke down how head coach Bill Belichick chose to go with ASU wide receiver N’Keal Harry over someone like Samuel and Tennessee Titans wideout A.J. Brown:

"Harry killed his 30 visit that spring and had a college coach, Todd Graham, who was close to Belichick. In that end, without more input from scouts who preferred Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown, the coach wound up leaning on his own experience with Harry, rather than the red flags his scouts planted, and lost a golden opportunity to fill a hole on his roster."

Even Belichick isn’t immune to making key mistakes.

Difference between 49ers’ Deebo Samuel and Patriots’ N’Keal Harry is notable

New England’s wide receiver corps in 2020 was considered among the league’s worst, prompting the need for Belichick to both bolster his pass-catching unit this offseason via free agency while also likely pushing the need for him to draft even more wide receivers later this April.

The 49ers, too, could add some wide receivers to support both Samuel and Aiyuk. But it’s pretty clear they’re set atop the depth chart even though Samuel missed a good chunk of last season with multiple injuries.

Comparing both Samuel side by side, however, it’s clear the Niners got the better end of the bargain:

Deebo Samuel’s NFL Statistics

• Games Played: 22
• Receptions: 90
• Receiving Yards: 1,193
• Yards per Reception: 13.3
• Total Yards from Scrimmage: 1,378
• Total Touchdowns: 7

N’Keal Harry’s NFL Statistics

• Games Played: 21
• Receptions: 45
• Receiving Yards: 414
• Yards per Reception: 9.2
• Total Yards from Scrimmage: 463
• Total Touchdowns: 4

From nearly every vantage point, San Francisco got the better player and someone it can rely upon for at least the next two seasons.

The Patriots, meanwhile, have to ask themselves whether or not it’s worth continuing to invest time and effort with the hopes of developing Harry into a quality offensive commodity.

Or, after he failed to separate himself amid the lackluster pass-catching numbers New England had a year ago, is it going to be better for Belichick to move on from Harry sooner than later?

Whatever that outcome winds up being, it’s more than safe to say the 49ers can be thankful Belichick didn’t listen to his scouts back in 2019 and elected to pass on Samuel, leaving the better of the two wide receivers to end up with the Niners instead.