Deebo Samuel wants to be paid like a top-tier playmaker. The wide receiver’s apparent desire for a contract like that of Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill has put the 49ers in a bind ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft and highlighted one of the underlying advantages of having a pick in the back end of the first round.
Deebo Samuel highlights the benefit of picking late in the first round
Samuel, the 36th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is coming off a career year that was special by most metrics. He produced 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns during the 49ers’ bounce-back season, which ended in the NFC Championship Game. San Francisco essentially ran their offense through Samuel, making him a critical asset to their entire operation.
Samuel is set to become a free agent in 2023, and his lame-duck contract status gives him leverage over the 49ers. With one year left on his deal, Samuel can cause a significant headache for the 49ers, and his meager-by-market $3.94 million salary is a valid sticking point. Samuel is among the top players at his position following his output last season, and he’s making $24 million less this year than Adams is set to average annually on his new contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Samuel has a justifiable reason to seek a substantial pay hike in the final year of his deal. Had he been a first-round pick, taken even four choices earlier at No. 32, Samuel would have significantly less leverage, and the 49ers would be picking up his fifth-year option before the May 2 deadline.
And therein lies the advantage of owning a late-first-round pick. While the talent at the end of the first round might not be as desirable, the benefit of having a fifth-year option on an ascending player is important.
That option can make a late first-round pick valuable in a trade. Teams picking early in the second round might be willing to cough up additional assets in favor of adding a prospect with a fifth-year option.
Target positions for a late first-round trade-up
Quarterback, offensive tackle, and defensive end are premium positions. Cornerback, wide receiver, and defensive tackle have joined the fray of universally valued positions from a first-round outlook in recent years. Teams want flexibility, and the fifth-year option gives them a choice to make after three years.
Samuel has leverage because the 49ers’ only option in 2023 is the franchise tag, a move that gives the wideout even more power. As the centerpiece of the 49ers’ offense, Samuel is as vital as an offensive tackle, pass rusher, or even quarterback. The 49ers aren’t going to derail their offense for the sake of a contract negotiation, so they are likely to eventually reach a deal that pays Samuel like the talent he has become.
And that’s also why the teams looking to land receivers, quarterbacks, defensive ends, and defensive tackles in the second round are going to peek into the first round and try to jump into the final minutes of Day 1. Squads with two first-round picks like the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 29 and No. 30), Green Bay Packers (No. 22 and No. 28), and Detroit Lions (No. 2 and No. 32) could look to further the value of their previous blockbuster trades by taking advantage of the fifth-year option outlook of other teams.
It only takes one team’s desperation at the top of the second round to make the most of a late first-round selection with a fifth-year option. And that’s the beauty of owning a pick in the 25 to 32 range on draft weekend.