4.48 speed with all the tools.
Deebo crushed it at the 2019 Combine 🔥 @19problemz
📺: #NFLCombine March 3-6 on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/99RLQVneBF
— NFL (@NFL) February 22, 2022
Deebo Samuel’s incredible skill set shined bright in 2021 while he put up the most unique season ever by a wide receiver. While NFL combine workouts don’t provide a ton of insight into what type of player a prospect will be in the NFL, rewatching Samuel’s workout with the benefit of hindsight makes it even more impressive.
His explosiveness is so evident on his routes and in the 40-yard dash. Samuel clocked a 4.48 40, but the acceleration is obscene and his top-end speed is faster than that of a 4.48 40-yard dash. That was on display all year when he took short throws through defenders and consistently outran defensive backs who had angles on him in the third level. It’s the reason the 49ers selected him 36th overall in the 2019 draft.
Some players who are freak athletes at the combine don’t quite translate those skills to the gridiron. Samuel is the opposite where his athleticism is more prominent on the field when he’s running through and around defenders. It’s fun to look back on his combine, but it’s definitely more fun to watch him playing in games.
