Reports are surfacing the New York Jets will make an offer for Deebo Samuel the 49ers ‘cannot refuse’ involving the No. 10 NFL Draft pick.
The two most likely scenarios surrounding the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Deebo Samuel seem to be either Samuel remains a Niner or he’s sent to the New York Jets.
Such a deal must be agreed to soon, however, given the 49ers have reportedly put a price of two first-round picks on the talented star, which would eclipse the trades reached for fellow wide receivers, Davante Adams or Tyreek Hill, who were moved via trades earlier this offseason.
The Jets have two selections early on in the 2022 NFL Draft at Nos. 4 and 10 overall, and rumors are swirling that, at a bare minimum, they’ll ship the latter to San Francisco in order to obtain Samuel.
Read More: How 49ers can win a would-be trade for Deebo Samuel
However, the Jets are aware that pick alone won’t be enough to convince the 49ers to trade, and so now even more rumors are circulating on a massive deal to get the job done.
Should the Niners get two first-round picks or something of similar value for Samuel, that’ll recoup the picks given by the team to move up in the draft last year for quarterback Trey Lance? Keep in mind the two Round 1 picks already traded in the Lance deal (No. 12 overall in 2021 and No. 29 in 2022) mean San Francisco probably would end up with slightly better picks as well.
So, what would be such an offer from the Jets to the 49ers?
The dream would be both Nos. 4 and 10, but there’s no front office stupid enough to do that since the Houston Texans fired former head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, but there is one offer that could offer value similar to two first-rounders:
The Niners can easily package the latter two picks to move back into Thursday night and get what they want for Samuel. The Jets finally land their veteran wide receiver to help young quarterback Zach Wilson, and San Francisco gets a treasure trove beyond what the Green Bay Packers got for Adams or the Kansas City Chiefs got for Hill.
But what do the 49ers do from here? Let’s take a quick look at the possible options for the team at No. 10 (and what they can do for the latter picks as well).
Options for 49ers: Find a replacement for Deebo Samuel
Looking away from the No. 10 pick for a moment and looking at the trade-value chart, if the 49ers are hellbent on another first-round selection, the No. 35 and No. 38 picks combined offer 1,070 points, which is roughly about what the No. 15 pick is worth. The 49ers could also package No. 35 and their own pick at No. 61 at 842 points, which is close in value to No. 20 overall.
Keep this in mind down the track, but let’s look at what No. 10 alone gives the Niners the chance to pick first.
At No. 10, San Francisco would be in an interesting spot to find an instant replacement for Deebo Samuel. This is a weak draft overall, but the wide receiver position is one of the few well-represented spots this season, and there are actually multiple possibilities here.
There are a few receivers jostling for top billing here, but Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Alabama’s Jameson Williams seem to be fighting to be the top guy off the board. Williams was the consensus top receiver before tearing his ACL in the championship game against Georgia, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to hamper him too much stock-wise. Wilson, meanwhile, might be the top receiver on the board when it comes to yards after the catch, which is always popular in San Francisco.
Drake London from USC offers mismatch potential with his height and speed, while Chris Olave from Ohio State may be the best route runner in this draft. Both could be utilized well in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
If the 49ers like the look of all these receivers, they could go the above route of packaging Nos. 35 and 38 to move into the mid-teens and pick whoever falls to them. If they prefer to look elsewhere at No. 10, then maybe the No. 35/No. 61 deal to move somewhere in the 20s can net North Dakota State wideout Christian Watson, reuniting him with his former collegiate quarterback, Trey Lance.
If this happens, we should consider what the 49ers do with No. 10 then
Options for 49ers: Look elsewhere other than receiver
No. 10 is an interesting pick because we always see sliders early on in the draft, and the 49ers could be in the perfect place to strike.
But who could they consider here?
One obvious pick would be Kyle Hamilton, the safety from Notre Dame. Hamilton could end up sliding in the draft due to concerns over his speed and whether or not he’s better at safety or linebacker. The Niners, however, primarily rush just the defensive linemen and use seven defenders in coverage, meaning Hamilton can rely on his amazing instincts and less on speed to make plays.
If Hamilton’s speed wasn’t poor in the NFL Combine, he would be a top-five prospect, and San Francisco’s scheme allows speed to not be a factor as much as in other schemes in the NFL. He makes a lot of sense here.
An EDGE to pair with Nick Bosa makes sense, too, although there are salary cap considerations if the pick pans out and the team has to pay big on two pass-rushers. But Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux could both slide due to off-the-field issues. Johnson would be available and a good get, but could Thibodeaux slide down this far? It’s unlikely but not impossible.
Lastly, there’s cornerback Derek Stingley and where the LSU product will go. Fellow corner Ahmad Gardner will certainly be gone early, and Stingley has been a popular mock to either the New York Jets or the New York Giants somewhere in the top 10, but both have other considerations as well and he could slip through. The 49ers haven’t had the need for the position they’ve had in the past, but the value may be too good to pass up.
Options for 49ers: Trade down
The one last consideration is the Niners could break down the pick and move back in the draft for more capital and to take someone else to boot.
Should another team like the look of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett or Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, it could be happy to package up a good deal for a top 10 pick to get its man. Potential partners that make sense could be the Pittsburgh Steelers or Detroit Lions (from their No. 32 pick, they probably don’t go QB at No. 2).
Let’s say it’s the Steelers, and they move down in a trade that gives San Francisco No. 20 instead of No. 10 in the draft, who makes sense?
Well, center Alex Mack may still yet retire, and the 49ers would need to scramble for a replacement. No. 20 makes perfect sense to take Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum and plug that hole right away. Should the Niners prefer to move Daniel Brunskill there, however, they would need to invest at guard. Boston College’s Zion Johnson or Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green would be good replacements.
If San Francisco wants to fill the need at EDGE, Purdue’s George Kalafaris may be available here, and he’ll pique a lot of interest with his ability to get into the backfield. The 49ers need an EDGE who can generate pressure on his own.
And of course, Christian Watson still makes sense here at No. 20 as well. It’d be a reunion to love for Trey Lance, and it’s one of just a few things that could happen if the Niners get the No. 10 pick from the New York Jets.