The San Francisco 49ers opted to go with a wide receiver in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft in April, taking South Carolina's Deebo Samuel with the 36th overall pick.
With the 49ers not having any standout wide outs in their roster, Samuel could be in for a big season, and former NFL wide out Reggie Wayne really likes Samuel heading into 2019.
“Without a true No. 1 receiver in San Francisco, Samuel has a real opportunity to make waves in Year 1,” Wayne wrote for NFL.com. “He was a successful slot receiver for South Carolina and will be a nice addition to the 49ers' receiving corps alongside new star tight end George Kittle, Jordan Matthews, Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin and fellow rookie Jalen Hurd. Any one of these guys could emerge as Jimmy Garoppolo's top target, and I think Samuel, a second-round draft pick, will be the guy to surprise.”
There is certainly a lot of young talent in San Francisco's receiving corps, but Wayne is right: there is not true No. 1, so Samuel has a great chance to step into that role.
Samuel is coming off of a senior year in which he hauled in 62 receptions for 882 yards and 11 touchdowns, representing what was easily his most productive collegiate season.
The 23-year-old arrived at South Carolina in 2015 and did not earn a significant role until his sophomore campaign, when he caught 59 passes for 783 yards and a score.
The 49ers won just four games this past season and have not made the playoffs since the 2013-14 campaign.
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