49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel had an excellent rookie season. He caught 57 balls for 802 yards and three touchdowns, while also acting as a Swiss Army knife for head coach Kyle Shanahan.
While he was the 49ers’ top wide receiver, his rushing ability is what really jumps off the screen. His 53 yards on three carries in the Super Bowl were a good one-game example of how effective he is on the ground. However, Samuel wasn’t just good as a runner in 2019. He produced at a nearly unprecedented rate.
Samuel rushed 14 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season. That’s good for 11.36 yards per attempt – the second-highest ever for an NFL player with at least 14 carries.
Via Pro Football Reference:
There’s reason to believe Samuel will see an uptick in overall production in Year 2.
He had 37 yards on five attempts in his first 10 games before going for 122 yards on nine rushes in the final five. Samuel continued to terrorize teams on the ground in the postseason when he ripped off 106 yards on six carries. That means in 19 games, Samuel had 20 rushes for 261 yards and three scores.
Kay Adams of Good Morning Football foresees a monster second year for Samuel:
Depending on how the 49ers operate in the offseason, a season with 1,000 receiving yards and 500 rushing yards isn’t entirely out of the question. No full-time wide receiver has ever done that, and it would likely mean upwards of 50 carries for Samuel.
That type of usage probably isn’t what San Francisco envisions, even though Samuel is so good with the ball in his hands. However, if they wind up having to lean on the receiver in his second year, an unprecedented statistical season could be on the table.
