49ers get two different picks in 2017 NFL re-draft

It’s a Friday in June. With no OTAs or minicamps to recap as they normally would around this time of year, let’s rewind the clock. With no sports, we entertained ourselves by doing a re-draft of 2017. There were no trades. Here is how the first two rounds turned out:

The first round was a piece of cake. The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have a reliable quarterback at the time, and Deshaun Watson was worthy of the No. 2 overall selection at the time, and he’s proven that he should have gone earlier than No. 11. There is no reason to spend any more time on this. Watson was a no-brainer selection.

The second round was a bit trickier:

I went with Curtis Samuel in the second round. Samuel was a stud in college and, when the opportunity has presented itself, he’s been a stud in the NFL. He’s precisely the type of wide receiver that Kyle Shanahan loves. You can use him in motion and get the ball in his hands right away on screens. Samuel can win on the intermediate and deep levels as well.

Kyle seems to prefer quickness over speed, which makes sense. You want a wide receiver that can separate in short areas. Samuel is quick and sudden. He’s also explosive. Samuel ran a 4.31 40-yard dash. Shanahan also wants receivers that can create for themselves. We see these quick screens to Deebo Samuel and a lot of quick-hitting passes that get wideouts in space. Samuel—who turns 24 in August and is entering the final season of his contract—thrives after the catch. Carolina threw Samuel ten passes behind the line of scrimmage last season. Samuel also had 19 carries for 130 yards. Ten of those went for 10+ yards. Samuel finished 2019 with 627 yards on 53 receptions and six touchdowns. Thirty-six of those receptions went for first downs. Samuel even has drop issues, so he’d fit right in!

Where would you have gone in the second round if not for Samuel?