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Asante Samuel Jr. named darkhorse to win Rookie of the Year

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•08/12/21
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(Photo by Logan Stanford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Chargers defensive back Asante Samuel Jr. was recently selected as a darkhorse candidate to win Rookie of the Year honors by PFF.

If the last name sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Samuel is of course, the son of former NFL legend Asante Samuel, Sr. Samuel was a four-time Pro Bowler during his highly decorated NFL career.

PFF’s Anthony Treash wrote about Samuel in his Rookie of the Year candidate breakdown.

“Samuel and new Chargers head coach Brandon Staley’s defense is a match made in heaven,” Treash said. “Staley needs athletic and instinctive corners in his system, and that’s precisely who Samuel is. Yes, he is on the smaller end at 5-foot-10, 180-pounds, but he was meant for an off-zone, versatile role like this one. At Florida State, he cemented his standing as a premier playmaker, forcing the second-most incompletions among Power Five cornerbacks from 2018 to 2020. He processes the game at a high level, and Staley recognizes that.”

Staley also laid out Samuel’s role in the Chargers defense recently when he said: “He’s going to play outside plenty whether we’re in four DBs or five or six… But we’re trying to cross-train him inside so that you’re putting your best combination out there. The fact that ‘Sant has that type of skill set just increases our ability to be flexible, multiple.”

Impressing early in camp

The Florida State product has looked outstanding early in fall camp and has impressed his teammates and coaches.

Keep in mind, Keenan Allen is one of the best route runners in the National Football League. For a defensive back to blanket him like that, is impressive regardless of their pedigree.

There’s a reason why Samuel was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Some scouts and experts said he should have been drafted higher than that. As a matter of fact, PFF’s Sam Monson thought Samuel was a top-20 overall prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Samuel’s T-step, the foot a corner plants in the turf to come out of their backpedal and drive on the football once the receiver makes his break.

“Samuel Jr. has the best and quickest T-step when he comes out of his backpedal to drive toward a receiver breaking in front of him,” PFF’s Sam Monson said. “There is just zero wasted motion to it, and he can completely reverse his entire momentum and drive in that one step. It’s exactly how you are taught to do it, but I can’t remember seeing such a perfect execution of the skill before.”

It doesn’t hurt when your father was one of the better defensive backs in NFL history, but Samuel Jr.’s technique stands among the truly elite at the position and the tape and stats back that up.

Asante Samuel Jr.’s FSU career

In 2020, he became the second FBS player since 2000 and the first since 2003 to have three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in his team’s first four games. In the eight games he played in 2020, he recorded 31 tackles, including one tackle for loss, three interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He was named a first team All-ACC selection last season.