Getty Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers.
There is always one standout player who, inevitably, will be carrying more weight than others during the season. For the San Francisco 49ers, that’s going to be wide receiver Deebo Samuel, according to Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon.
Gagnon determined an X-Factor for each NFL team but stuck with the 49ers’ third-year wideout.
He explained the reasoning behind his pick:
You could argue that Jimmy Garoppolo, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Nick Bosa are all X-factors for the San Francisco 49ers, considering that they’re crucial players coming off injury-derailed seasons. But we have a no-starting quarterback rule, and Kittle and Bosa feel a little too established, considering their incredible 2019 campaigns.
So while there’s a little more margin for error with Samuel because of the presence of second-year first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk at wide receiver, we’ll go with Garoppolo’s favorite non-Kittle target from 2019.
It’ll be hard for Kittle to excel to the best of his superstar ability and for Aiyuk to evolve as a sophomore if Samuel can’t stay healthy and pick up in 2021 where he left off during a promising rookie campaign in 2019.
The 49ers are stacked in a lot of spots, but a lot rests on Samuel’s shoulders. It’s hard to envision them rebounding from a brutal 2020 if he isn’t a big factor next season.
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Samuel Caught the Injury Bug in 2020
Getty2020: Jordan Fuller #32 of the LA Rams attempts to tackle Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers.
Samuel turned heads during his rookie campaign in 2019 where he reeled in 57 passes for 802 yards with three scores. But last season was a different story for the South Carolina product as the 49ers were plagued with injuries last season, with Samuel amongst the list of casualties.
He suffered a foot injury prior to training camp, then dealt with a hamstring injury that cut his 2020 season short.
Samuel played in just seven games last year, hauling in 33 catches for 391 yards and a touchdown. His best performance came against the LA Rams where he made 11 catches for 133 yards in the Niners’ Week 12 victory.
There is no worry about what Samuel will bring on game day when he’s available, but staying healthy will be Samuel’s biggest task. The Niners have barely begun offseason training and have already lost two playmakers to season-ending injuries, which also led them to cancel mandatory minicamp.
Samuel Gives Promising Injury Update
While a recent update on Samuel’s health has not been reported, he said back in March that he feels close to being 100 percent healthy again and plans to return even better than before.
“I have to get back into the top-tier shape that I need to be in, not only for me, but for the team,” Samuel told reporters in March, via NBC Sports. “For how much they use me in the offense, I got to get back into tip-top shape, making sure I don’t come back and get injured or anything.
“I want to hit the ground running without any setbacks”
Samuel also noted that he had been working on his first couple of steps and routes to “put the fear in defenders.”
Expect big things from the rising star receiver in 2021.
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