Deebo Samuel is now 49ers offense’s top skill player

Deebo Samuel has had a monster season thus far, and was once again instrumental in the 49ers victory over the Vikings in Week 12.

For a few years now, the best skill player on offense for the San Francisco 49ers has undoubtedly been tight end George Kittle. The tight end has been an All-Pro and a record holder in the NFL for most receiving yards by a tight end and has been one of the most popular players in franchise history.

But the mantle may now have been passed on.

If we were talking about purely just offense overall, then the verdict would have to go to left tackle Trent Williams, who has been an absolute brick wall for the team this season.

Yet when it comes to skill players, the best and most important player has to be Deebo Samuel. You can call him a wide receiver, but more and more, he’s become the Swiss Army knife in the Niners offense.

Samuel went off once again against the Minnesota Vikings in San Francisco’s 34-26 Week 12 victory. He only caught the ball once for 12 yards but ran the ball six times for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

He may be a wide receiver on paper, but the skill and versatility he possesses meant it was Samuel the running back who was the difference. His efforts played a big role in getting the 49ers to a winning record, currently at 6-5.

Samuel currently has 56 catches for 1,006 yards and five receiving touchdowns and has rushed the ball 25 times for 203 yards and a further five touchdowns. He’s been unstoppable this season, and head coach Kyle Shanahan has clearly had fun utilizing him in many different ways.

Read More: Deebo Samuel has been 49ers MVP so far in 2021

Unfortunately, the injury gods have not been favorable towards San Francisco for the last two seasons, and Samuel exited with a groin injury that will require an MRI as a precaution. The good news is the injury doesn’t seem to be all that serious, and it looks as though he will miss minimal time if at all.

The 49ers are hitting their stride at the perfect time with the run to the playoffs getting closer and closer.

They’ll need Samuel for every game possible as the new top weapon of this offense.