GETTY Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers probably don’t need to be told that wide receiver Deebo Samuel is on his way to big things in the NFL.
The slick, versatile receiver nearly cracked 1000 total yards on only 11 starts as a rookie, and with the addition of 2020 NFL Draft first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk lining up on the other side, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him easily surpass that total.
NFL Network’s Nate Burleson agrees, talking on the channel’s Good Morning Football program Tuesday about his top-five breakout receivers for 2020, which just happened to include a former South Carolina Gamecock at the No. 2 spot.
Burleson, who played 12 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, said that Samuel’s impressive numbers as a rookie hint at step-up in performance in his second NFL season.
“800 [receiving] yards last season, second-most ever by a 49ers rookie. Yeah, second-most ever by a 49ers rookie. You know who’s first on that list? The GOAT wide receiver, Jerry Rice. He’s a beast though. I love guys that have the opportunity to step up and make plays now that the guy in front of them is gone. Emmanuel Sanders is gone guys, who’s going to be No. 1? Deebo Samuel.”
Burleson simultaneously brought up Samuel’s and Rice’s interesting stat as the 49ers’ all-time leading receivers as rookies, while also highlighting WR Emmanuel Sanders’ presence in the team, which we will touch on in a bit.
Deebo’s a Bully
While Burleson’s words associated Samuel with Rice and Sanders, it’s his second quote that adds character to why he’s so high on the second-year receiver out of South Carolina.
“I know Kyle Shanahan, I know what type of receivers he likes: Big, strong guys that are nicknamed Deebo because they bully everybody. He’s physical and he’s going to be out there snatching chains like the real Deebo in ‘Friday.’ Can’t wait to watch him this season.”
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has enjoyed having Samuel in his squad to this point, giving the WR 81 total touches in 11 regular-season starts, 14 of which came through rushing attempts.
With the running-back trio of Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jet McKinnon, getting Samuel touches isn’t always easy. But after averaging 11.4 yards per carry in the regular season and 17 yards per attempt in his five playoff carries, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Shanahan do anything he can to get Samuel even more involved in the ground game in 2020.
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Sanders’ Impact on Samuel
The arrival of Emmanuel Sanders midway through 2019 was with the hopes that the 33-year-old receiver could be the missing offensive weapon needed to take the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
While Sanders served his part with 573 yards and three touchdowns in 13 total games, his impact on Samuel may be more important. Deebo recently commented on how Sanders taught him the importance of leading and communicating.
“I think Emmanuel played a major role at that,” Samuel said. “He’s like, ‘Bro, you don’t notice you’re a leader just by your play. Just imagine how big of a leader you can be when you’re more verbal and able to coach players on certain things.’ So I think Emmanuel played a good part of that. I’m not a very talkative guy. I like to lead by example. Being more verbal is something I’ve been working on lately.”
Another offseason of NFL training and growth within Shanahan’s system is already encouraging, but Samuel saying that he’s learned and matured thanks to Sanders also bodes well for his chances at a monstrous 2020 season.
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, MT. Follow and reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.