Deebo Samuel trade creates huge opportunity for this 49ers player

The San Francisco 49ers parted with one of their top offensive weapons when they agreed to trade Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders on Saturday, and the move should pave the way for one young player to take on a huge role.

Samuel is headed to Washington in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. The 29-year-old wideout had been highly productive in Kyle Shanahan's offense, drawing 80-plus targets in five of his six seasons. Brock Purdy will now have to look elsewhere, and second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall could be the primary beneficiary of the Samuel trade.

The 49ers selected Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Just before the start of his first season, Pearsall was involved in a terrifying incident in which he was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in downtown San Francisco. He was fortunate to survive, let alone return to practice six weeks later and make his NFL debut in Week 7.

Pearsall finished his rookie season with 31 catches, 400 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. He had 14 catches for 210 yards and two scores over the last two games of the regular season.

The final two games of the year may have been a preview of what's to come for Pearsall. The former Florida star seemed to establish great chemistry with Purdy in a short span of time. That connection will almost certainly improve if the two spend a full offseason on the field together.

Many were surprised when San Francisco used a first-round pick on Pearsall. Both Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were still on the roster at the time, so wide receiver did not seem like a position of need for the Niners. Aiyuk then signed a huge contract extension before the start of the season. In hindsight, the 49ers may have known then that Samuel's days with the team were numbered.

One thing seems certain — the path to a big second-year leap from Pearsall will be clear. Shanahan and John Lynch thought highly enough of Pearsall to draft him in the first round, and we should have a chance to see why in 2025.