ESPN Projects the 49ers Will Trade Deebo Samuel for a Day 3 Pick

Last offseason, the 49ers nearly traded Deebo Samuel during the draft but the deal fell through at the last minute according to him.

It's unclear which team almost traded for Samuel and what they would have given the 49ers in return, but it's safe to assume Samuel's value has dropped dramatically since last year. He's coming off one of the worst seasons of his career and he just turned 29. In retrospect, the 49ers should have traded him last year.

Now, they'll have to trade him for scraps according to ESPN.

"Finding a comp for Samuel is difficult in large part because Samuel isn't a traditional receiver," writes ESPN's Nick Wagoner. When the Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans last April, the Bills received a 2025 second-round pick but attached a 2024 sixth-round selection and a 2025 fifth-round choice to Diggs to make it happen. At the time, Diggs was coming off a 107-catch, 1,183-yard, eight-touchdown season.

"Because Samuel is coming off a down year and is entering the final year of his contract with other top receivers set to be available in free agency or trade, a Day 3 draft pick and perhaps another late-round pick would probably satisfy the 49ers.

If there isn't much of a trade market, the Niners might have to settle for less unless they package picks with Samuel."

That means Samuel's decline is so significant and his contract is so bad that the 49ers actually might have to send a team draft picks to get them to take him off their hands. Wagoner lists the Commanders, the Steelers and the Texans as three teams in particular that could be interested in Samuel's services, such as they are.

Stay tuned.

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