49ers news: Did CBS Sports give Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk duo enough respect?

CBS Sports ranked the top 10 wide receiver duos entering 2023, and the 49ers' tandem of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk isn't that high.

Quick, stop and think where you'd place the twosome of San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in comparison to the rest of the league's top wide receiver duos.

You probably wouldn't say first or second, and going lower than outside the top 10 would be a complete travesty.

Fourth? Fifth, perhaps?

At any rate, it's something CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin looked at on the eve of training camp 2023 for the league, and there are certainly some strong arguments in favor (and against) where he placed the Niners' tandem.

In viewing the 10 best wide receiver duos across the league this season, you might be surprised where Samuel and Aiyuk ended up.

Were they slighted, though?

CBS Sports has 49ers WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in the top 10, not top 5

Benjamin's list of the 10 best wide receiver duos going right now does include Samuel and Aiyuk, so you don't have to worry about it being that big of a snub.

However, San Francisco's tandem ranked at No. 7, behind the Minnesota Vikings' twosome of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and above the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Here's what Benjamin had to say about the 49ers' two playmaking wideouts:

"Samuel is too much of a bowling-ball utility man to be routinely feared as a traditional wideout, and yet, when healthy, he must still always be accounted for, pairing receiver speed with running back physicality. Christian McCaffrey's continued presence should help him create in space. Aiyuk, on the other hand, is emerging as San Francisco's top outside weapon; his yardage and catch percentages have improved every year he's been in the NFL. "

To Benjamin's point, Aiyuk probably is the Niners' best pure wide receiver, while Samuel's all-purpose use is what makes him unique.

Read more: ESPN points out painful truth about Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk duo

As is always the case when looking at slights and snubs, one has to figure out which other tandem should be dropped down below that of San Francisco.

Here was Benjamin's top 10 in order:

1. Miami Dolphins (Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith)
4. Seattle Seahawks (Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf)
5. Buffalo Bills (Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis)
6. Minnesota Vikings (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison)
7. San Francisco 49ers (Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin)
9. Dallas Cowboys (CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks)
10. Los Angeles Chargers (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams)

Perhaps bumping the Vikings down, since Addison is a rookie. But Jefferson is arguably the best receiver going in the league right now.

Let's just bump Seattle's two receivers down to No. 7 and move the teams in between up one spot. That'd make it right, right?

Of course, it would.

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