Deebo Samuel Sr.'s Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The New England Patriots had preliminary trade discussions on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel prior to the start of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night, according to a source. Niners receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been in trade talks all offseason, but Samuel's name has surfaced of late, and a report on Thursday night suggested he's now more likely to be dealt by San Fran than Aiyuk. The 49ers also took wideout Ricky Pearsall with their first-round pick (31st overall) on Thursday night, suggesting they could be beefing up their receiver room in the event they trade one of Samuel or Aiyuk. The Patriots are desperate to add a receiver, especially after taking rookie quarterback Drake Maye third overall in the first round. Samuel's fantasy stock would take a big hit if he were to move to New England.

The San Francisco 49ers are "more likely" to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel than Brandon Aiyuk during this year's 2024 NFL draft. Aiyuk's name has been mentioned in trade rumors all offseason, but now Samuel is the more likely pass-catcher to be dealt. Samuel, 28, is two years older than Aiyuk but has more versatility in the offense. However, Samuel also has a salary cap hit north of $20 million in 2025. Aiyuk is looking for a new long-term deal as he heads into the fifth and final contract of his rookie deal, but the Niners have been hesitant to give him a market deal given their other financial commitments. San Francisco took rookie pass-catcher Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the first round on Thursday night, potentially foreshadowing a trade of either Samuel or Aiyuk in the coming days.

The San Francisco 49ers have been in trade rumors regarding star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk all offseason, but NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the team has also talked with teams about trading fellow star wideout Deebo Samuel. Russini said one of the teams the 49ers have talked with currently holds a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so a blockbuster deal could be in the works. Aiyuk is reportedly asking for more money than the 49ers are willing to give him, while Samuel has been in the trade rumor circles for multiple seasons. With high-priced assets like George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner on the roster, the organization will have to make moves in order to re-sign quarterback Brock Purdy in the near future. If one of the wideouts is traded, they should retain plenty of fantasy value with their new team.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring) had a frustrating Sunday night in the team's 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. The former second-rounder fell to the turf, grabbing his leg in the third quarter but returned shortly after. While 49er fans and fantasy managers could breathe a sigh of relief when he returned, Samuel wasn't able to do much damage after -- or for that matter, before -- the injury. He finished the game with three catches on a game-high 11 targets for just 33 yards. San Francisco also attempted to get Samuel involved in the running game, giving him three carries which turned into just eight yards. He'll most likely be taken near the WR1/WR2 border when fantasy drafts happen in the fall.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring) has returned to Sunday's Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. He suffered the injury on a non-contact play in which he was not the intended target. The 49ers initially listed him as questionable, but he checked back in for the first play of the next drive. At the time of his departure, the talented playmaker had seven targets, two catches, two rushes, and 23 scrimmage yards. His return puts the 49ers' offense back at full strength as they look to preserve their one-score lead over the Chiefs.