San Francisco 49ers: Deebo Samuel expected to start as rookie

Second-round pick Deebo Samuel is expected to have a prominent role in a young San Francisco 49ers receiving corps in 2019.

The San Francisco 49ers spent a second-round pick on a wide receiver for the second successive year, and Deebo Samuel is anticipated to be immediately thrust into a starting role in his rookie season.

San Francisco followed up the 2018 selection of Dante Pettis by taking South Carolina’s Samuel with the 36th overall pick. At 5’11” and 214 pounds, Samuel is of a similar build to the player whose void he is expected to fill, Pierre Garcon, and he will seemingly be under pressure to prove himself right off the bat.

Matt Barrows of The Athletic expects Samuel to start at the Z position previously occupied by Garcon, with Pettis playing across from him at the X position.

Pettis displayed plenty of flashes down the stretch of a rookie season heavily impacted by injury — catching four of his five touchdowns in his final six games of the campaign — but, should they both start, he and Samuel will form one of the most inexperienced starting receiver duos in the NFL.

It would be a significant show of faith from Kyle Shanahan to make Samuel the starter straight away, but his performances for the Gamecocks suggested he should thrive in the 49ers head coach’s offense.

Samuel’s ability to create separation with his route-running and use his blend of elusiveness and physicality to pick up yardage after the catch make him an ideal fit for a passing attack heavily reliant on receivers who can win over the middle.

But rookie wideouts have a history of taking a little longer to adapt to the NFL and enduring a maiden season of relative struggle. Even with the Niners boasting a superstar tight end in George Kittle and a strong group of pass-catching running backs, Samuel will be unable to afford such first-year issues if he is indeed given the responsibility of being a starter.