3 moves 49ers must make immediately following 2022 NFL Draft

49ers move No. 3: Give Deebo Samuel his contract extension

In a way, the Niners won day one of the NFL Draft without having to do a thing. If anything, they sat back and watched the Tennessee Titans trade away Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles, who subsequently signed him to a four-year, $100 million deal with $57 million guaranteed.

There’s a parallel here.

Brown’s agent also represents San Francisco’s own top wideout, All-Pro Deebo Samuel, whose own trade speculation dominated the days leading up to the draft itself. But the 49ers didn’t move Samuel, and he remains under contractual control for 2021 and could even be franchise tagged in 2022.

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Samuel is arguably worth more than Brown, but the latter’s new contract sets the benchmark. And while the Niners could feasibly wait Samuel out, particularly if he elects to sit out training camp and the hefty cost of $40,000 per day, the smarter play would be coming to a resolution.

Simply put, it’s time to engineer that contract extension now.

Doing so would help mend the bridge between Samuel and San Francisco, also allocating time for him to take the field and develop even more of a rapport with Trey Lance, which should be another top priority.

In short, the 49ers no longer need to wait this out. It’s time to get that deal done.