Deebo Samuel

It seems that just about every Super Bowl Champion has an unsung hero. The tradition goes way back, from Kenny King to Dan Jansen, Larry Brown, Dexter Jackson, Deion Branch and Malcolm Smith. One player seems to come out of the woodwork and be the difference maker.

One 49er to watch for in Super Bowl LVIII as the 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs, is Deebo Samuel. Now, Samuel is not an unknown name, but he IS the 4^th option in the 49ers offense. The hybrid “Wideback” sits behind CMC and Elijah Mitchell in touches per game, and behind Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in targets, and in receiving yards per game. His path to Super Bowl Hero lies in his shared lead amongst teammates in receiving TDs with 7.

A healthy Deebo makes the entire Shanahan offense function, like a rising tide lifting all boats, and Deebo may not be the focus, but he certainly makes things happen at a higher rate than his teammates.