The reasons he was traded are completely understandable, all the way around. But replacing Deebo Samuel will not be easy, if it's even truly possible, for the San Francisco 49ers. A multi-faceted skill set like his is rare, and his overall production was even more unique.
Other teams have tried and failed to find someone who can do what Samuel does, but it's also fair to say circumstance and Kyle Shanahan's offense allowed him to uniquely shine.
With the rarity of his skill set in mind, it would be foolish to think the Niners will be able to replace Samuel in the draft. They probably won't even try to, but pre-draft evaluations could easily have revealed some prospects who could, in theory, replicate Samuel's role.
In his "2025 NFL Draft Confidential" column, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic noted how Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden has been compared to Samuel. But coaches Feldman talked to pivoted toward a prospect they think is more similar to Samuel.
49ers could see shades of Deebo Samuel in intriguing draft prospect
"The other wildcard prospect who NFL receiver coaches think is more similar to Samuel is TCU’s Savion Williams, a 6-4, 222-pound former quarterback who ran a 4.48 40 in Indianapolis and rushed for 322 yards, averaging over six yards a carry, and ran for six touchdowns to go with 60 catches for 611 yards and six receiving TDs. Williams was 3-for-3 as a passer in 2024 for 22 yards and another touchdown."
Feldman then offered a direct quote from one coach:
"To me, he’s more like Deebo. You question whether he can run routes well enough to win consistently, but he’s got enough hands. He’s a bit of a body catch, but he is so rugged with the ball in his hands and hard to tackle. If he goes to the right place, he might be one of those who takes off.”
Williams (6-foot-4, 222 pounds) ran a 4.48 40 at the NFL Combine. Use as a gadget player arguably stunted his development as a wide receiver, with drops/lack of natural hands and limitations as a route runner the overriding negative notes in evaluations.
Williams is bigger than Samuel, so their styles are naturally different. A more apt NFL comp for Williams then becomes easy: Cordarrelle Patterson, with Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team among the analysts to offer it.
As the coach Feldman quoted said, Williams will need to land in the right spot to realize his full potential in the NFL. The 49ers are easy to see as that most ideal spot, with tangible proof they can maximize a player with his multi-faceted skill set.