CBS projects South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel as first-round pick

South Carolina football alum Deebo Samuel showed well enough at the Senior Bowl in Alabama to make himself some money in the NFL draft.

CBS is projecting that as first-round money.

The outlet’s latest mock draft has Samuel going to the Oakland Raiders with the No. 27 pick. It’s not the first time he’s been projected as a first rounder by CBS.

“Samuel had a coming-out party in Mobile where he dominated the week, answering questions about his long speed and his hands,” CBS’s Ryan Wilson wrote. “He feels like a Raiders player, and with Jordy Nelson no longer the player he was in Green Bay, Samuel could be Derek Carr’s reliable downfield threat for the foreseeable future.”

Samuel put on a show in Mobile, regularly beating opponents off the line and making highlight catches.

As a senior, he shook off a drop-heavy start to post 882 yards and 11 touchdowns.

For his career, which featured a few injury setbacks, he had 2,076 receiving yards, 23 touchdowns from scrimmage and four more scores on kick returns.

If he was taken in the first 32 picks it would mark the second year in a row a Gamecock went in the first round, after Hayden Hurst was picked No. 25 in 2018. South Carolina last had consecutive years with first rounders in 2005 and 2006 with Johnathan Joseph and Troy Williamson.

This story was originally published January 29, 2019 at 7:45 AM.