San Francisco 49ers fans and the media had high expectations for second-year wide receiver Dante Pettis before the 2019 season. The former Washington Husky finished the year with 11 receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Pettis was inactive for three games this past season, including Super Bowl LIV, and did not record a catch after October 31, 2019.
Deebo Samuel is working hard this offseason to avoid the same type of sophomore slump. The 2019 second-round draft pick out of South Carolina shared the following videos of his recent workout sessions on an Instagram story, which were shared by @oursf49ers.
Samuel recorded 57 receptions for 802 yards with three touchdowns through 15 games and 11 starts during his rookie campaign. He added 10 more catches for 127 yards during the playoffs. The receiver's 14.1 yards per catch led all 49ers players with more than 12 catches.
Samuel also showed his versatility by adding five carries for 96 rushing yards in San Francisco's final two playoff games. His 53 rushing yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV set an NFL record for wide receivers in the big game. The previous record was held by Percy Harvin, who had 45 for the Seattle Seahawks against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Kay Adams of Good Morning Football recently predicted Samuel to finish the 2020 season with 1,000 receiving yards and 500 rushing yards, which doesn't seem too far-fetched given his production during his rookie season.
"I think there's a real chance that our boy, Deebo Samuel, is the No. 1 wide receiver for the high-scoring San Francisco 49ers next year," Adams said on NFL Network in February. "On the ground, through the air, I'm going to say — it doesn't even seem very bold at all — 1,000 through the air, 500 on the ground. I say it happens."
The 49ers have decisions to make at wide receiver. Veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders is scheduled to hit free agency on March 18 and the team is reportedly open to trading another veteran, Marquise Goodwin.
H/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.
