Asante Samuel Jr. was seen as a steal by many when the Chargers selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. His talent was undeniable, but a number of NFL circles couldn’t bring themselves to bet on a first-round cornerback who stands at a generous 5’10 and 180 pounds.
In spite of the doubters and non-believers, Samuel started his professional career with a bang as he was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week twice after back-to-back games in week two and three while picking off pass in either contest.
Unfortunately, a string of bad injury luck — including two concussions — derailed what looked like an otherwise stellar rookie season.