San Francisco 49ers Swiss Army knife Deebo Samuel had a bit of a down year in 2022 and described his season as “awful” earlier this week. But, in Trent Williams' eyes, he saw the same Deebo who made an impact on a weekly basis, despite his numbers plummeting compared to 2021.

“I thought he was Deebo,” Williams said on Wednesday, via Kirk Larrabee of 49erswebzone.com. “Everybody’s their own worst critic. I know he’s hard on himself, but I thought he was a playmaker for us.”

In 21′, Samuel reeled in 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns while also running for 365 yards on 59 carries for eight touchdowns. Last season? 56 receptions for 632 yards and 232 rushing yards. However, just a total of five touchdowns.

There is no question Deebo Samuel expects a lot more out of himself after nearly helping the 49ers make the Super Bowl in 2022. And after securing a $73 million extension, Williams believes Samuel is in line for a huge campaign as he continues to “grind” in offseason camp:

He’s been grinding,” Williams said. “He’s definitely been grinding, which I think with all great players, I think every offseason, even if it’s one percent you figure out how to do things a little bit better — whether it’s starting faster, starting later, figuring out ways to get your body healthy as opposed to just lifting weights. Everybody has their own recipe. So, I just looked at it as another part of his maturation.”

While there are many weapons within this 49ers offense capable of producing, Samuel is perhaps the most important one. San Francisco needs him to show out in 2023.