Dallas Cowboys: 10 Wide Receivers and Their Fit

Deebo Samuel, South Carolina

What’s Good: Hands, Agility, Route running, Strength

What Ain’t Good: Size, Health

Deebo was one of the 5 recorded wide receivers to visit the Star this draft process. If the Cowboys chose to select Samuel in the draft, the Cowboys would have their slot receiver for the future. Standing at 5’11” and 214 pounds, Samuel is a very thicc receiver.

The Cowboys model for slot receiver has been short, light, and agile guys. Cole Beasley was the quintessential example of this for the past 7 years and it was with this build in mind the Cowboys drafted Ryan Switzer. Deebo isn’t quite the build but meets the athleticism.

At the senior bowl, he was torching defensive backs from the slot. Whether he ran a zig, slant, flag, or out, he was breaking ankles and getting separation. On his game film, South Carolina lined him up everywhere and asked him to run a variety of routes.

Compared to other receivers on this list, Deebo has a more diverse route tree, however, some routes will require some polishing at the next level before he can use them effectively and consistently.

What he does well now is play in the slot. At 5’11, he’s a bit undersized to play outside especially considering he’s not a speedy vertical threat like a Marquise Goodwin or John Brown. He uses his agility and burst to get instant separation for open looks. This is great news for his future quarterback as he will see many easy looks and completions come his way in the future.

However, that’s not all you get with Samuel. After he catches the ball, he’s a really strong runner. Odds are, if you pull up a highlight reel of Samuel, you’ll find clips of him running over defensive backs mixed in with some impressive catches.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Samuel is his injury history. 2018 was the first full season he’s played at South Carolina. This isn’t great news for a team looking for consistent production especially from the slot position. So how does Samuel fit with the Cowboys in the end?

As it stands the Cowboys have a slot receiver in Randall Cobb, however, he’s not signed pass this season. The same applies for Tavon and Allen. If Deebo plays in the slot as expected, the need to re-sign any of these three is null. The Cowboys could have a young nucleus of Cooper, Gallup, and Samuel for years to come in the same way the Rams have built their three of Kupp, Cooks, and Woods.