2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina

Despite a career at South Carolina riddled with injury, wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a chance to be one of the 2019 NFL Draft’s best wide receivers.

Right now, the 2019 NFL Draft wide receiver class looks to be full of talented names. The trio of Mississippi wide receivers are getting plenty of attention, along with big-bodied receivers like Kelvin Harmon and N’Keal Harry.

However, South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel needs to be in the mix.

Even though injuries have been an issue for Samuel, he is still putting up good numbers when he’s on the field. In 21 career games, he has 119 catches for 1576 yards, good for 13.2 yards per reception. He only has nine touchdown catches in his career, but four of those are in 2018, which is a good sign for him.

His stats won’t be gaudy this season, but that is not all on him. South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley has struggled mightily this season, and it’s tough for Samuel to produce when his quarterback can’t get him the ball.

Here’s what to look for when it comes to Samuel.

Position: WR
School: South Carolina
Year: Redshirt Senior
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 215

Strengths:

The first thing to note about Deebo Samuel is that he was used a ton as a kick returner earlier in his career. His explosive ability, acceleration in space, and vision made him as dangerous a returner as there was.

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His versatility is also a strength. South Carolina has used him in multiple ways. For one, he’s played both on the perimeter and in the slot, and can be productive in both areas. The Gamecocks also got him the ball on some sweep plays where he could accelerate to the corner and get upfield.

Samuel has a couple highlight reel catches on film. He can come up with a spectacular play every now and again.

The best trait Samuel has involves his route running and his ability to create separation. He sells fakes very well off the snap. He uses his head and shoulders to sell fakes inside to get open deep and outside to create space over the middle of the field. There’s also an example on tape of him selling the deep route with his acceleration and stopping on a dime for a comeback route.

His lateral quickness helps a ton to separate at the line of scrimmage, and he will stay patient against press to separate.

Samuel is also dangerous once the ball is in his hands. His ability to cut on a dime and change direction allows him to gain a lot after the catch. He can also accelerate in open space once he gets there to gain big chunks of yardage. His vision helps him get as much as possible after the catch as well.

Teams give him cushion at times on tape, especially in the slot, and they immediately regret that after the play is over.

Standing at just 5’11” certainly doesn’t give teams excitement when it comes to winning at the catch point. However, Samuel does well at the catch point if he gets position. He can go up and snatch the ball with natural hands and is physical in those situations.

He isn’t a great blocker necessarily, but Samuel does flash there, and he will throw a shoulder into a defender to help out down the field.

Weaknesses:

The biggest issue with Samuel will be his durability. Teams will be concerned about the number of games he missed in his time at South Carolina. He’s dealt with a number of injuries in his career, most recently in 2017 when he broke his fibula.

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We’ve talked about how he can win at the catch point if he can box defenders out and gain good position. However, it isn’t something that teams will be able to consistently rely on. He won’t become a red zone threat overnight, and teams with bigger corners will be able to limit him from winning on jump balls.

Yes, Samuel can accelerate and get up to a good speed in space. However, he really doesn’t have the ability to separate with just speed. He isn’t a burner by any stretch and won’t be able to win that way in the NFL.

One other thing to monitor with Samuel are the drops. He’s had a few in every season he’s played, and this season hasn’t been different. He’s had some bad drops on balls that are routine. It isn’t a chronic issue, but it comes up every now and then.

Pro Comparison: Stefon Diggs

No pro comparison is perfect, but the key is to try to find someone close. Right off the bat, Stefon Diggs and Samuel are the same size, and both are route running types that can play inside and outside. Diggs does better at sinking his hips when he cuts, but Samuel has the potential to get to the level Diggs is at. They both aren’t speed demon types, but both can be explosive in open space and have very good hands.

Projection: 2nd round

While he may be a bit higher on my board, right now Deebo Samuel is widely considered to be in the second group of receivers for the 2019 NFL Draft. With how deep the class is, it’s likely his value will be pushed to day two.

However, teams are getting a great route running receiver who can thrive in any offense. I see him going in the middle of round two at this point.