Deebo Samuel showcased himself as a dual threat on Monday night football, as the wide receiver occasionally lined up in the backfield and carried the ball five times for 36 yards and a score, while also hauling in five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Much like Christian McCaffrey has set himself apart as a unique talent who can line up all over the field, Samuel is making a name for himself as a one-of-a-kind playmaker. During his press conference with reporters Wednesday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel is the top dual-threat receiver he’s ever coached, while comparing him to other versatile wideouts.
“I haven’t had one [better],” Shanahan said, via the team's YouTube channel. “I thought Percy Harvin had a chance like that, seen Cordarrelle Patterson, Tavon Austin a little bit over the years, but Deebo’s been pretty special.”
Samuel’s 10 touches in Week 10 were just one shy of his career high. As explosive as Samuel is, I think Shanahan should be weary about how he uses Samuel. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old was a limited participant in practice due to a shin injury.
Deebo is tough. He doesn't shy from going over the middle or taking contact, and often is the initiator of the collision. But running between the tackles is a different kind of beast compared to getting dragged down by defensive backs. Obviously, Shanahan knows this, but I think he has to pick his spots with Samuel going forward.
Samuel has played in every contest this year but missed nine games last season with foot and hamstring injuries. The 49ers can ill afford to lose Deebo, who arguably has been their top player this season along with tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa.
Samuel ranks second in the NFL with 979 yards on 54 catches. He also has 11 rushing attempts for 58 yards and two touchdowns. During his rookie season in 2019, Samuel carried the ball 14 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns, so handoffs are nothing new for him.
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Though the 49ers have a stable of running backs, Shanahan said he likes to mix-and-match Samuel to keep the defense off-guard.
“Just the threat and different matchups,” Shanahan said. “Everything is personnel driven and who the matchups are. And it's the same thing with how big of a deal it is having a fullback who can also go out there and play outside of the box. Like we have with Juice [fullback Kyle Juszczyk].”
It’s also worth noting San Francisco also entered last week with the goal of running the ball 40 times, which it surpassed by four carries.
Emmanuel Sanders only spent 10 games with the 49ers in 2019, but he left a lingering impression on Samuel, according to Shanahan. The coach said the veteran wideout took Samuel under his wing and helped him how to be a professional.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said he noticed Samuel take a top-dog role during training camp this year.
“In training camp there was a sort of a lull in our receiver room of just like, you know, who the leader is and we didn't really have a vocal leader,” Garoppolo said. “Deebo’s not the most vocal guy in the world, but he leads by example and in one-on-ones he would always go first. He would step up first, kind of set the tone for everybody, make big plays, get guys excited. ... That's when he started to open up and really become a leader of that room.”
