NFL Network's Peter Schrager of "Good Morning Football" praised San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receivers Jalen Hurd and Deebo Samuel following their in-game action on Saturday night. The two drafted wideouts combined for five receptions for 92 yards in the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Hurd muscled his way into the end zone twice for two touchdowns.
Schrager notes that the decision to focus on the draft rather than pursuing a proven veteran like Antonio Brown might have been the correct one given the troubles the Oakland Raiders are having right now with Brown.
"[Hurd] is a 6-foot-4 beast, and they are excited about him in San Fran," Schrager said Monday morning.
The "Good Morning Football" host noted that the team's leading wide receiver last year was Kendrick Bourne, who had 42 receptions for 487 yards with four touchdowns.
"42 receptions," Schrager said. "Kendrick Bourne was the 98th-leading receiver in the NFL last season, and he was their top guy. Again, they were in on Odell (Beckham Jr.), and it didn't work out. They sniffed around on Antonio Brown, did not like what they heard; they got out on that one.
"Instead, they put all their eggs into the basket of rookies. Deebo Samuel, South Carolina, great catch. He was a late addition because he held out for most of training camp, then finally joined the team."
A quick note: That last part is not accurate. Samuel signed his rookie deal before the start of training camp and only missed a portion of the 49ers' offseason program due to a minor hip injury.
"But Jalen Hurd, 6-foot-4," Schrager continued, "the 49ers have not had one of these guys maybe since Michael Crabtree. Like a big body who can catch the ball. They are super excited about him.
"A lot of 49ers fans were upset this offseason they didn't go for Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham. It might work out in the end."
"The winners of the Preseason Week 1 were the two @49ers WRs who showed up, balled out, and showed why there's hope for a different story at the that position this year. @MrHurd_1 and Deebo Samuel had amazing weekends, while across the Bay, things didn't go as well." - @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/9NioddEhg9
— GMFB (@gmfb) August 12, 2019