Deebo Samuel couldn't have put together much of a better debut for the Washington Commanders, both in terms of actual production and also as a proof of concept.
He finished the win over the New York Giants with seven catches for 77 yards, and he also ran once, for a 19-yard touchdown.
Samuel was an exciting offseason addition for the Commanders, coming over in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. And he was as advertised to open the season.
He's not as classically gifted a wide receiver as newly extended Terry McLaurin. But Samuel, with his own unique skillset, can be just as key to what the Commanders accomplish this season.
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Why Deebo Samuel is so important to Commanders
The first portion of Deebo Samuel's importance to the Commanders comes in his summer preparation.
They were without McLaurin and Noah Brown for long stretches of the summer, but Samuel was there building his chemistry with Jayden Daniels.
"Receivers Terry McLaurin (contract) and Noah Brown (knee) did not play in the preseason and missed most of camp," writes ESPN's Jonah Keim. "So while those two players shake off any rust (McLaurin had two catches for 27 yards in Week 1), it's important to have a versatile option like Samuel."
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The second key is in how Washington uses Samuel.
Not only did he have the rushing touchdown. His constant presence as a motion man or even aligned in different areas can put extra pressure on the defense.
"He serves as another diverse playmaker for the offense, forcing the defense to freeze on fake handoffs to him since it knows he's a threat," Keim writes.
This is the player the Commanders thought they were getting, and if they keep using Deebo like this, it could lead to great things.
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