Through the initial wave of free agency, not every big name has gotten a part of the billions in contract valuations handed out thus far.
Deebo Samuel Sr. is still looking for a home after a decent 2025 season in which the receiver totaled 72 catches, 802 scrimmage yards, and six total touchdowns. Where will Samuel’s next NFL opportunity happen?
New York Giants
Toying with optimal selections in PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator, it’s very possible the board shakes out for the New York Giants to best address their needs at linebacker, cornerback, and offensive tackle with each of their first three picks.
That still leaves them without an ideal slot option for a team that might be ready to win right now. Darnell Mooney joined Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton on the boundary, but Samuel’s extensive slot usage in 2025 coincides well with the team losing Wan’Dale Robinson to the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
The veteran could be useful depth when Nabers, Mooney, and Slayton haven’t always been the most reliable targets in terms of health, either.
Denver Broncos
This does feel like the draft where Sean Payton finally selects a high-profile weapon for Bo Nix in the first round, but if it’s Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, that might require a trade that will also make addressing the need at wide receiver more challenging.
In that event, the offensive guru might get creative. Deebo Samuel would be an interior bully to pair with Courtland Sutton’s vertical game on the outside, and he would also be a mentor for Marvin Mims Jr., who also makes his living with the ball in his hands like Samuel has his whole career.
Denver has been quiet in free agency, but plucking an ignored former Pro Bowler off the scrap heap would align with Payton’s history of team-building at the position.
Carolina Panthers
The NFL landscape can get fixated on potential rather than production. This obvious acquisition would be a reminder that sometimes the answer is right in front of us.
Deebo Samuel had six games with at least 65 yards from scrimmage in 2025. In the regular season, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette combined to reach that mark just three times.
In a make-or-break year for Bryce Young, do the Panthers really want to risk that Coker’s playoff eruption of 134 receiving yards and a score was an official sign he has arrived? Here’s a veteran answer as an interior complement to Tetairoa McMillan.
Carolina’s current cap space ($17.8 million) might make Samuel’s $15.8 million expected annual value a difficult ask, but the market seems to have no interest at that number.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of defensive needs and few picks to address them. A wide receiver seems to be an unaffordable luxury in April’s draft.
While that’s likely the reason that Atlanta brought in former first-round pick Jahan Dotson on a value contract, Dotson has just 121 receptions in four seasons. Pushing him into an unquestioned No. 2 role behind Drake London might be too much to ask.
Especially if the recently signed Tua Tagovailoa wins the Falcons’ starting job, they’ll need playmakers who can turn short passes into home runs. Tagovailoa’s average depth of target (7.2) was among the lowest in the league among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks.
That’s Samuel’s specialty, so getting him on a value contract really loads up an offense that already has London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts.
Minnesota Vikings
Imagine telling someone at the start of 2023 that Deebo Samuel would be combining with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. That would be discussed as perhaps the greatest wide receiver room ever.
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Samuel’s “decline” being a season in which he still crested 700 receiving yards despite quarterback issues might mean that becomes a reality, especially as the Vikings look to give either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy all the assistance they can get.
Minnesota has holes at cornerback, safety, running back, offensive line, and potentially EDGE if they end up dealing Jonathan Greenard. I just don’t think they can invest a quality pick into a reliable No. 3 receiver, and Samuel is a great complement in the slot to Jefferson and Addison’s ability to get vertical.
