As the preseason NFL rankings continue to trickle in, one media outlet believes that Deebo Samuel is the most overrated player on the 49ers.
Per Anthony DiBona of Pro Football Network, the San Francisco wide receiver is overrated due to his steep drop-off in offensive production in recent years.
“San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel appeared to emerge as one of the position’s best in 2021,” DiBona said (h/t 49ers Webzone). “But ever since receiving a massive payday from the Niners, Samuel’s production has fallen off a cliff.
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“In 2021, Samuel hauled in 77 receptions for a whopping 1,405 receiving yards and six touchdowns. In each of the last two seasons combined, Samuel has totaled just 1,524 receiving yards. It’s safe to say that Samuel has become overrated at this point.”
Samuel has one of the most unique skill sets in the NFL due to his receiving and rushing abilities, though the 28-year-old has struggled with consistency since his impressive 2021 campaign. During that season, Samuel amassed 1,405 receiving yards and 1,770 yards from scrimmage, both career highs. The performance led to a massive contract extension, but his results since have not been as impressive.
Between injury issues and the rise of Brandon Aiyuk as a legitimate receiving threat reducing his on-field performance, Samuel is viewed as an overrated player by PFN.
Still, the receiver has an elite skillset and plays in one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, so you can never count out a healthy Samuel to bust out massive plays and rack up yardage.
San Francisco 49ers
Samuel, Aiyuk and the rest of San Francisco’s offense will look to turn the page on a crushing Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and finally claim that elusive Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2024 NFL season.