Why the Lions Need to Worry about 49ers WR Deebo Samuel
San Francisco jack-of-all-trades wide receiver Deebo Samuel is like that cool Christmas present every boy wants. He is sort of like that robot that can also turn into a car. Only in this case, Samuel is a receiver who also plays like a running back.
This fits 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and all the outside-the-box things he likes to do schematically.
Samuel is a hybrid -- a cross between a thick, tough and physical running back and a player who has the speed and hands of a fleet receiver. A player like this causes all sorts of matchup problems, and he is someone opposing defenses need to be aware of at all times.
The injury bug has done a better job keeping Samuel in check than defenses have -- both in college and in the NFL. He has had everything from hamstring injuries and a broken leg at South Carolina, to hamstring and groin injuries with San Francisco, including a broken foot.
Samuel has missed a total of 10 games in his short NFL career, and according to DraftSharks.com, he has a 90 percent chance of injury again this year. The site projects he will miss another 2.7 games in 2021.
© Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Do the Lions need to worry about Samuel this Sunday?
Samuel can do it all ... whether it is lining up in the backfield as a tailback while showing off the necessary speed to hit the edge or lining up at receiver and running an end-around.
Additionally, Samuel is a dynamic receiver who sports confident hands. He can hurt a defense on a short bubble route, with his propensity to pick up additional yardage, or he can run quick slants and hit the gas after securing the ball.
In any case, Samuel is just plain tough to bring down, because he runs like a power back and he has the personality of a spark plug.
Samuel definitely has the admiration and the attention of Lions head coach Dan Campbell heading into the team's Week 1 contest with the 49ers.
“I remember when he was coming out, I loved the player, too. I know we did when I was in New Orleans. But, I think what makes him unique is his ability to carry the football. Not just run after the catch, but his ability to – his turbo, these fly sweeps, he can do some things out of the backfield as a runner and a route runner, and I just think there’s a ton of versatility with him," Campbell said. "When you can use a guy like that as a – shoot, man – he’s like a punt returner, but on your offense. You can get him in space, you can throw him bubbles, you can give him the fly sweeps, you can put him in the backfield, you can hand him the ball a little bit if you want to. But, you can also let him run the routes. I think that it brings another dimension to your offense, and I think maybe that’s – I know for me, that’s what makes it hard from a defensive perspective watching him, there are so many different things you can do to him. And, when he gets on the perimeter and he’s into it and he’s got his speed built up, he’s dangerous. I think that’s what it is. It’s his versatility.”
That is the word that comes to mind when it comes to Samuel: versatility. He can do many different things and give many different looks. Having him in there creates matchup challenges and potential issues.
Detroit will need to know where he is lining up at all times, and it needs to be careful not to fall asleep on him, either, because Samuel can also get deep.
Samuel is a game-breaking player.
Detroit playing a base 3-4 defense will help in the cause of containing Samuel, as outside linebackers Trey Flowers and Romeo Okwara have the necessary athleticism and speed to seal off the edges. However, it is the secondary that will be most tested.
Because for all the changes Detroit made during the offseason, one thing has not really changed at all - - Detroit's starting secondary consists of the same personnel that finished 30th in pass coverage last year.
