As NFL passing games condense toward the line of scrimmage and become more oriented around quick throws, having receivers who can impact the game in short areas is vital. That’s a big reason why the 49ers took South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel No. 36 overall in this year’s draft. He’s a monster on quick throws.
Check out this stat from Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus:
31 yards per catch on slants is an absolutely insane number. He averaged 14.0 over his four years with South Carolina, including a career-best 16.7 as a junior.
Part of that has to do with defensive breakdowns by collegiate secondaries, but it speaks to the trait that stands out the most when watching Samuel – he is exceptional at getting off the line of scrimmage.
Check out these moves he puts on at the Senior Bowl via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area:
These aren’t slants, but the release off the line is tremendous. The only way the corner has any chance is to grab him for a penalty. 49ers receiver Dante Pettis is sensational at this as well.
Expect 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to utilize this skill often with Samuel, getting him the ball on short throws and allowing him to go to work after the catch. That’s another reason he posted such a huge number on slants – he’s basically a running back once he has the ball in his hands.
His release at the line of scrimmage is also part of the reason he’s so effective in the red zone despite standing at just 5-foot-11.
Samuel probably won’t average 31 yards per catch on slants in the NFL, but he’ll get plenty of use out of the skills that allowed him to do so in college, and it should make him a successful pro right away.
About the Author: Insidethe49
