The San Francisco 49ers are among the teams that have met virtually with Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. per Justin Melo of The Draft Network. The other teams include the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks.
#FSU CB Asante Samuel Jr. has recently met virtually with the #Bengals, #Lions, #Chiefs, #Rams, #Bears, #49ers, #Cardinals & #Chargers.
Previously reported: #Packers, #Seahawks, #Falcons, #Dolphins, #Eagles, #Chargers, #Titans, #Saints, #Washington and #Cardinals. #NFLDraft
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 15, 2021
Samuel (5-10, 184) is the son of longtime NFL cornerback Asante Samuel, who spent time with the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, and Atlanta Falcons.
Samuel started all eight games in which he appeared in 2020, recording 31 tackles, one tackle for loss, three interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries, per Florida State's athletics website. The young defender earned first-team All-ACC honors.
"Samuel Jr. is a touch undersized, but he is outstanding in man coverage where his natural pattern matching instincts, loose hips, and quick feet make him tough to separate from," wrote Melo's The Draft Network colleague, Joe Marino. "Despite not having ideal size, Samuel Jr. is a competitive run defender and tackler that gets his work done and isn't a liability. While his frame may suggest to some that he's slot only in the NFL, he's in the mold of a Brandon Flowers/Denzel Ward and fully capable of playing wide in the NFL like he did in college—although he does have some experience in the slot.
"Where Samuel Jr. has room to grow is in his zone coverage reps and ball skills. He played mostly man coverage in college and he isn't nearly as comfortable in zone reps. From a ball skills perspective, he isn't consistent finding the ball in the air and getting his head around, creating issues when challenged with his back to the line of scrimmage. Samuel Jr. has the potential to start at the next level for a defense that plays a lot of man coverage and is willing to move him around to maximize his strengths."
NFL teams are allowed to conduct up to five video calls per prospect leading to the draft, and each call can last up to one hour. There is no limit to how many phone conversations NFL teams can conduct with draft-eligible players.
The 2021 NFL Draft begins on April 29.
Update: Melo reports that the 49ers held or will hold a second interview with Samuel.
#FSU CB Asante Samuel Jr. has recently/will meet virtually w. #Rams, #Bills, #49ers, #Browns, #Steelers, #Broncos, #Giants, #Ravens & #Panthers.
Prev reported: #GB, #SEA, #ATL, #MIA, #PHI, #LAC x2, #TEN, #NWO, #Washington, #ARZ, #CIN, #DET, #KC, #LAR, #CHI, #SF and #Cardinals.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 30, 2021