Brandon Aiyuk 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Brandon Aiyuk 2020 NFL Draft Profile

The 2020 NFL Draft is littered with talent at the wide receiver position, and Brandon Aiyuk managed to establish himself as one of the best in the class. This had nothing to do with his pre-college pedigree, as the former three-star prospect started his career in Junior College. After two years at the JUCO level, Aiyuk managed to record 2,499 yards and 21 touchdowns before drawing the attention of several top-level programs. Aiyuk eventually settled on Arizona State and spent the past two seasons as a key part of the passing offense.

After spending the 2018 season below N’Keal Harry on the depth chart, Aiyuk finally had a chance to shine for himself. The Reno native made the most of his opportunity, recording 65 receptions on 99 targets for 1,192 yards, eight touchdowns, and 18.3 yards per reception. One season earlier, Aiyuk ended the year with a more modest 33 receptions for 474 yards and three touchdowns.

Strengths

Explosive, dangerous player capable of taking the top off a defense;

Doesn’t lose speed out of breaks;

Nearly unstoppable after the catch and doesn’t need much room to make a big play;

Soft, reliable hands with below-average drop rate;

Above-average route running by collegiate standards;

Has experience returning punts and kicks.

Weaknesses

Terrible in contested catch situations – either open by two steps or not at all;

Struggles to win against press coverage;

Sometimes shies away from big hits over the middle;

Only one year of top-level production;

Below-average catch radius;

Tends to push off at end of routes, which will become a problem in the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Percy Harvin

Projection: Early 2^nd round

Bottom Line on Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk is one of the most explosive players in a draft filled to the brim with elite receiving talent. The Arizona State product is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands and is a danger to score every time he touches the ball. While he doesn’t have the speed of a guy like Henry Ruggs, he doesn’t lose any speed out of his breaks and has some of the best open-field vision in the class. He’s a solid enough route runner with the skills to improve on that skill and should develop into a starting-caliber wide receiver with big play upside.

That said, there is a reason Aiyuk isn’t at the top of the admittedly-loaded wide receiver class. The Arizona State product needs to improve his physicality if he’s ever to develop into a truly elite wide receiver. Aiyuk struggles to win in contested catch situations and gets pushed around when facing press coverage. Additionally, he only has one year of elite college production, which is something of a red flag for some scouts. Most years, he’d be a first-round type of prospect. However, with the depth at the position, he’ll probably slip into the second.

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