After watching the 2019 Senior Bowl, a certain wide receiver out of South Carolina became a household name. That’s right, Deebo Samuel’s stock rose higher than ever after a majestic performance on the week of the game hosted by Reese’s. His collegiate career mirrors those performances, which makes him a possible replacement for superstar Antonio Brown, should he exit Pittsburgh this offseason.
Background
Deebo Samuel #1 South Carolina Gamecocks Wide Receiver 5,9”, 210lbs Senior
Steve Wadiak Co-Most Valuable Player (2016)… Steve Wadiak Most Valuable Player Offense (2016)… First-Team All-American (2018)… First Team All-SEC (2018)… Senior Bowl Invitee (2019)
Real name: Tyshun Samuel… DOB: January 15, 1996… All-Time leader in school kick return TD’s (4)… Retail Management Major… The nickname “Deebo” originates from the neighbourhood bully character showcased in the film “Friday”… Deebo’s Hometown is Inman, South Carolina.
2018 Stats
Receiving: 62 receptions for 882 yards (14.2 ypc), 11 touchdowns.
Returns: 23 returns for 570 yards (24.8 ypr), 1 touchdown.
What’s To Like
Hustles on every single play. Fantastic at gaining yardage after the catch by using his elusiveness to evade tacklers. Boasts fantastic downfield vision and searches for space after the catch. Exceptional hands. Sells his routes well, uses his shiftiness to punk his marker. Possesses excellent boundary awareness as he always gets his feet in-bounds. Extends well and adjusts his body to the ball’s trajectory solidly. Makes contested catches often. Reliable target in the end zone, who makes highlight reel plays more often than not. Can be utilized in a variety of ways, namely in the slot, on screen plays or even as split end, despite his size. Can help a team in a variety of ways; for example in the wildcat formation or throwing the ball himself. (Has 2 passing touchdowns in his collegiate career).
Here you can witness Samuel’s ability to make plays on kick returns, something the Steelers could definitely use a hand with:
Again, as aforementioned, Samuel makes unbelievable athletic grabs on several occasions, including in the end zone:
The Concerns
Struggles to get open against handsy cornerbacks. Lacks top-level speed. On minimal occasions he shows a lack of interest when blocking. Samuel’s blocking technique is also fairly sloppy. Can be outsized by larger corners which reduces his catch radius emphatically. Has suffered injuries, most notably fractured fibula in 2017.
The Verdict
After watching film of Deebo Samuel’s play, I believe he possesses second round talent. Despite suffering from fairly poor quarterback play, Samuel prevailed as a reliable pass catcher who outplays his small stature, as he consistently makes big plays. As evidenced, he does have several limitations, however, the majority of those are easily amended with NFL coaching, such as blocking. For me, his route running ability and exquisite agility are truly unrivaled among his counterparts, thus I’d be delighted to see the Steelers select him with their second round pick.
Grade: Second Round.
Games Watched: Clemson (2018), Tennessee (2018), Texas A&M (2018) & Missouri (2018).
Credits: gamecocksonline.com, sports-reference.com, YouTube (videos) & si.com (image).
