SANTA CLARA — Deebo Samuel’s value has gone up even more after the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Six wide receivers were selected between the No. 8 and No. 18 overall picks Thursday night. During that time, the Tennessee Titans traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens trade Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals.
Baltimore sent Brown and the No. 100 overall pick to Arizona for the No. 23 overall selection.
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The Titans received the No. 18 and No. 101 picks for Brown. Shortly after the trade, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported, citing sources, that the Pro Bowl wideout is set to sign an four-year contract extension worth $100 million with $57 million guaranteed.
Brown and Samuel are both represented by Torry Dandy of CAA and both previously expressed their displeasure with a lack of contract extensions publicly on social media. Brown’s future now being set for years to come provides more framework for Samuel’s future contract.
Previously, it was thought Samuel should receive an extension that averages $20 million per year. Now, after details have emerged regarding Brown’s contract, the 49ers' “wide-back” could fetch much closer to an average $25 million per year.
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In his three seasons in Tennessee, Brown caught 185 of his 295 targets for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdown reception with an average of 16.2 yards per catch. His Pro Bowl season was in 2020 when he recorded 70 catches for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdown receptions.
In comparison, Samuel has recorded 167 completions on his 246 career targets for 2,598 and 10 touchdown receptions with an average of 15.6 yards per catch. Samuel’s best season was in 2021 when he snagged 77 passes for 1,405 yards, caught six touchdown receptions and a whopping 18.2 yards per catch average.
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Brown is the NFL’s best comp for Samuel when it comes to contracts. While they offer completely different skill sets on the field, both are 2019 second-round draft picks (Brown was No. 51 while Samuel was higher at No. 36) and have been playmakers for their respective original teams.
Now the waiting game continues to see if the 49ers hold onto their top producing offensive playmaker, offer him a contract extension now, or wait until July as they have historically been apt to do.
One thing is certain -- the wide receiver market is incredibly high-priced and Samuel is going to get his payday.
The signature on the check still it is undetermined.