Deebo Samuel, 49ers redefining wide receiver position

San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel tied for 10th in the NFL in rushing touchdowns with eight this season.

He also did enough at his natural position of wide receiver to make the NFC roster for the Pro Bowl, which will kick off at noon Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

Samuel had 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver, where he lined up almost exclusively for the first half of the season.

That changed when the coaches had the idea to line him up in the backfield occasionally, starting with a game against the Rams in mid-November.

“It kind of organically happened,” Samuel said after Pro Bowl practice at Las Vegas Ballpark. “They came to me and said they were going to try me at running back. I was like, ‘Alright, cool.’”

Samuel said he never second-guesses 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and he certainly did not this time.

The move worked. Samuel had carried the ball just six times in the first eight games before rushing five times for 36 yards and a touchdown in a 31-10 win over the Rams

His workload increased from there. Samuel averaged 7.5 carries and more than 40 yards per game over the final 10 games, including two postseason contests.

Samuel became the first player in NFL history to surpass 1,400 receiving yards and 300 rushing yards in a single season.

All of that success didn’t hold back the 26-year-old former second-round pick out of South Carolina from his main job as a pass catcher.

He has his best year yet in that category as well to earn his first Pro Bowl appearance and a first-team All-Pro nod.

It was a strong bounce-back season after appearing in just seven games in 2020.

“Injuries set me back a bit last year,” Samuel said. “It was a motivation to me to come out here and just put the work in and leave it all on the field.”

All the backfield opportunities this season have coaches and fellow receivers around the league thinking of new ways to get the ball in the hands of the top playmakers.

Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb has certainly taken notice. He considers Samuel a close friend and has talked to him about the role he played in the San Francisco offense this season.

“Any way I can get the ball, I feel like I’m available,” the Pro Bowler said. “Handoff, toss, catching it. Deebo set the tone.”

Running backs may not be as supportive if receivers start infringing on their territory, but Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Najee Harris isn’t concerned.

The AFC Pro Bowler said offense is a team game so stats don’t matter. Plus, he caught 74 passes of his own this season.

“They (aren’t) overstepping my boundaries because I’m still doing what they’re doing, too,” he said.

One of the added benefits, apart from just getting playmakers the ball more, is the mismatches it can create in the passing game.

Rams coach Sean McVay also started lining up receiver Cooper Kupp in the backfield occasionally to make him more difficult to cover out of the backfield. Harris said that’s something offenses will continue to exploit.

“What they are doing with Deebo is a mismatch in all types of ways,” he said. “Him on a linebacker with the option routes they do is such an explosive play. Not only that, but if they do try to move someone over to cover him, someone else has a mismatch.”

Those mismatches will likely have to be exploited by a different quarterback in San Francisco next year as the 49ers are expected to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo.

Samuel went to bat for Garoppolo and indicated the uniform he’s wearing won’t impact their relationship.

“Jimmy is a winner. I’m going to ride with him to the end whether he’s with us or somebody else,” Samuel said. “It’s out of my control. I just go out there and play ball and whatever happens, happens.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.