Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jayden Daniels Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Commanders' cornerstone already all-in on Deebo Samuel after electric arrival

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Dean Jones | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Building around quarterback Jayden Daniels was the Washington Commanders' biggest priority this offseason. And the dynamic signal-caller already likes what he sees from one of Adam Peters' marquee additions.

The Commanders kicked off another busy recruitment period by securing wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. via trade from the San Francisco 49ers. Peters knows the prolific playmaker well. If he is confident that the former second-round pick still has some good football left, fans should trust his judgment.

Besides, it only cost Washington a fifth-round pick to find out for sure.

Jayden Daniels excited to see what Deebo Samuel brings to the Commanders

Add Daniels to the list of people who've been suitably impressed by Samuel's impressive transition to a different environment. The No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is excited about the prospect of adding him to Kliff Kingsbury's offense. He's also looking forward to plenty of touchdowns — even some when he gets credit for doing almost nothing.

Obviously, the offseason was good. But now you just see why he's proven year in, year out. I'm excited to throw him a little screen and hopefully, on the stats sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn't have to do any of the work. I'm excited. He's a great person, great to have in the locker room. Hopefully, we're gonna see a lot of touchdowns.Jayden Daniels

“I’m excited to throw him a screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn’t have to do any of the work.”

— Jayden Daniels on Deebo Samuel being the newest addition to the Commanders offense. pic.twitter.com/fsd3yG5wqo
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) June 21, 2025

This was a tongue-in-cheek statement, but this is what Samuel can bring. He's highly motivated to silence his increasing doubters. The wideout looked sharp over Washington's offseason program despite the claims of aggregators on social media. Dan Quinn lauded how fast the South Carolina product was playing, which should serve him well in a contract year.

If Samuel is in the right position and Kingsbury calls the correct plays, Daniels can get the football where it needs to go. He took the league by storm in 2024, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and dragging the Commanders from obscurity into the NFC Championship game. Any further improvements would cement his elite-level status, and those in power gave him everything needed to achieve this goal.

Samuel is a big piece of the puzzle. He's highly motivated and ready to embrace this fresh challenge. The Niners might have given up on him, but that's not an opinion shared by people in Washington.

Daniels included.

Excitement is building around what Samuel could bring to the Commanders. He's got the scope to offer something different from what Kingsbury had at his disposal last time around. Staying healthy and at optimum fitness levels is key. After that, it won't be long before things take off.

And Daniels will be on hand to help the pass-catcher every step of the way.