The San Francisco 49ers may not have a whole lot of proven producers at the wide receiver position, but they certainly have a lot of talent.
During the 2019 NFL Draft, the 49ers added yet another piece to their expanding receiving corps, selecting University of South Carolina wideout Deebo Samuel with the 36th overall pick.
Samuel is coming off of a senior campaign in which he hauled in 62 receptions for 882 yards and 11 touchdowns while also returning 23 kicks for 570 yards and a score, so he brings some versatility to the table.
But just what can we expect from the 23-year-old in his first NFL season?
Here are a few goals for Samuel heading into 2019.
3. Stay Healthy
One of the most pressing issues for Samuel in college was his inability to stay on the field.
While he was able to avoid injuries and play in 12 games this past season, he was not so lucky for a good chunk of the rest of his collegiate career, as hamstring issues and various other injuries limited to just five games during his freshman year and three contests in his junior campaign.
As a result, Samuel did not really have a very extensive track record at South Carolina, and while he did produce when he was healthy, we still really don't know just how good he can be.
If Samuel wants to have any shot of developing into a reliable wide receiver with the 49ers, he needs to stay healthy.
Of course, much of that is luck-based and beyond his control, but better workouts, better hydration and a better diet can all help him prevent injuries from occurring.
2. Catch 40 Passes
Again, the 49ers have a lot of young talent at the wide receiver position, and they also have the phenom George Kittle at tight end, so Jimmy Garoppolo will likely be spreading the ball around quite a bit to find his favorite targets.
Be that as it may, it should not be an impossible task for Samuel to haul in 40 receptions this season.
He has good hands and may end up being one of the top two wide receivers on the team going into 2019.
Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin, Jalen Hurd and even Jordan Matthews will all be duking it out for playing time with Samuel, so it will be a tight race, but Samuel should be able to separate himself from the pack a bit.
1. Establish a Role
Given that Samuel is just 5-foot-11 and a robust 214 pounds, you would think he would fit into the slot receiver role in the NFL, but we really don't know what position in which Samuel will find himself during his first year with the 49ers.
He doesn't have breakaway speed, as his 4.48-second 40-yard dash time reflects, so it does seem like he will eventually have to become a slot receiver, but with San Francisco's receiving corps being in such a state of flux right now, he may have to do a bit of everything in 2019.
Still, it would be nice for Samuel to establish a role just so he gets comfortable going forward.
Again, it will be tough, because all of the 49ers' young receivers are trying to do the same thing and Kyle Shanahan will be figuring out a pecking order, but Samuel needs to find a way to fit in early to set the tone.
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