Deebo Samuel has been on an absolute tear to start the season, catching 20 passes for 334 yards, which is second in the NFL behind Cooper Kupp, off of 30 targets.

After Brandon Aiyuk's impressive rookie season, during which he accumulated 60 catches for 748 yards on only 12 games, it was unclear who would establish himself as the No.1 receiver in this San Francisco offense.


Three weeks in, Deebo Samuel has turned into Mr. Reliable for Jimmy Garoppolo, being the most targeted player by far, which is a great sign for the 49ers after injuries limited him to seven games this year.

When asked about the improvements Samuel has made over his career, head coach Kyle Shanahan stressed the challenges that the third-year wideout faced early in his career and how he's overcome them.

"I thought Deebo, as a rookie, he made a lot of strides halfway through the year," Shanahan said. "We threw him into the battle very early, even Week 1 versus Tampa. He had a lot to learn on the fly. But he got better throughout the year and was playing at a very-high level when we got to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. His second year was just injury-filled. So, he didn't get an offseason. So, when he came back, he wasn't totally ready to play football, and he kept getting re-injured. So, the second year was almost like it didn't even happen.

Now, for Samuel, this season's improvement was what the team hoped for as the next jump last year, before injuries came into play.

"And this year, I think is what you were hoping to see the second year," Shanahan continued. "He came in very prepared from what he learned his rookie year. He came in ready to go, was in much better football shape, much better on his routes. His stamina's better, and I think that's why he started off better."


Jimmy Garoppolo also had high praise for his No.1 receiver Wednesday, pointing out the several aspects of Samuel's game that makes the team better, not only his catching ability.

"Deebo has been huge. He really has," Garoppolo said. "Pass game, run game, blocking he does a great job too. He doesn't even get noticed for it. He's come a long way in all those, but above all that, what I really noticed is just his leadership, how he sets the tone for that group."

In addition, Garoppolo feels that Samuel leads by example through the quality of his play, which is important for such a young wide receiver core.

"The receivers, really all the skill positions in general on our offense, he kind of gets everyone going," Garoppolo added. "You need a guy like that, a tone-setter. We've got a couple of other guys like that too, but Deebo has really embraced that role this year, and I appreciate him for that."

Samuel and the 49ers remain at home to take on a division rival in the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4 in a likely crucial matchup for division seeding. The 49ers currently sit at third in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals, who are both 3-0.

Written By:

Rohan Chakravarthi


Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
All articles by Rohan Chakravarthi
@RohanChakrav
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