One of the best receivers in the NFL has become a potent dual threat, adding 59 rushing attempts to his 77 receptions in 2021. How did Deebo Samuel develop into such a force in the running game?
“It kind of caught me by surprise, not going to lie,” Samuel said Wednesday on PFT Live. “It started midseason, [49ers coach] Kyle [Shanahan] came to me he was like, ‘Hey Deebo, we’re going to hand you the ball a little bit this week.’ Then from there on it’s just, ‘All right, you’re getting more carries here, you’re getting more carries, you’re getting more carries.’ It just kept growing.”
Indeed it did. Samuel had only six total carries through Week Nine. He then had five in a Week 10 win over the Rams, eight in a Week 11 victory over the Jaguars, and it continued from there with six, eight, six, five, seven, and eight carries in the rest of the regular-season games. (He missed a Week 13 loss to the Seahawks, with a hamstring injury.)
In the postseason, he had 10 carries against the Cowboys, 10 against the Packers, and seven against the Rams.
“I have a background of being dangerous with the ball in my hands,” Samuel explained. “I did play running back growing up. My last year of high school I had like 900 receiving, 900 rushing.”
This year, he finished with 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards. Expect even more rushing yards in 2022, as Deebo keeps striving to get better and better.
The key is that he runs with authority, looking to deliver hits before taking them. It has served him and the team very well, and it makes him one of the most exciting players to watch in the NFL.