1,30o-Yard receiver and San Francisco 49er Brandon Aiyuk may be traded on the first day of the NFL Draft on Thursday. The draft is quickly approaching and there are a lot of rumors that many players may not be on the same team. There have been rumors circulating that Aiyuk could land with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the 49ers are not looking to trade Aiyuk but he doesn’t want to stay with the team.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, he recently penned a mock draft in which every team has to make a trade in the first round. He has the 49ers trading with the Chargers, a dark horse team that has not been in the mentions of any rumor. This move would send Aiyuk, the No. 31 first-round pick, and a third-round pick in exchange for Los Angeles’ no. 5 pick and their six-round pick. It sounds like a dream scenario for both teams but it’s still a possibility.
The 49ers would have to use that pick to find their next receiver to replace Aiyuk. So this makes sense since this would allow San Francisco to draft Marvin Harrison Jr., the best available receiver prospect in this year’s draft. It’s appealing since the 49ers are paying big money for a handful of star players. Drafting Harrison Jr. would allow San Francisco to get a cost-controlled option for the next five seasons.
The 49ers won’t have many options if they attempt to re-sign Aiyuk to a new contract. They still have to give franchise quarterback Brock Purdy a big extension next offseason, so this move is vital for them. It would allow the Chargers to finally get the weapon they’ve waiting for since Mike Williams and Keenan Allen’s departure.
1,300-Yard Receiver Brandon Aiyuk May Be Traded on First Day of NFL Draft
Contract Talks are Stalling
Aiyuk’s recent actions show that the star receiver could be on his way out. The former first-round pick recently unfollowed the 49ers on social media which has fueled up the rumors. Aiyuk has not been shying away from voicing his frustrations this offseason. He wants on a new contract and if that means going to another team, then that would be the case.
Days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona State product implied that a trade could happen on the first day. He said there would be “fireworks” according to his Instagram Story post. While he’s still under contract for one more season, Aiyuk probably won’t get the contract he desires. He’s slating to play under his fifth-year option which would pay him $14.1 million for the 2024 season.
However, he has been playing a key role for the team, especially in last season’s Super Bowl leading to a loss. It would be smart for the 49ers to sacrifice Aiyuk now since they’re already paying big money to guys like Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel. Aiyuk is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons so his trade value isn’t concerning for any team that has a need. Here are some potential trade destinations for Aiyuk.
Trade Destinations for Aiyuk
There are only two reasonable trades that could happen before the 2024 season. The 49ers could send Aiyuk to the Super Bowl defending champions for their proper replacement of Tyreek Hill. Since Hill departed from the Chiefs, they haven’t been able to replicate what he accomplished with them. It’s easy to assume that any wideout could do Kansas City some justice in light of the Rashee Rice investigation.
However, it would make sense to give Patrick Mahomes a reliable weapon to complement Kadarius Toney, Marquise Brown and Travis Kelce. They would probably become unstoppable if this happens. Another good option is if he could land with the Ravens. Odell Beckham isn’t coming back so that means Lamar Jackson needs more than one reliable target. Having someone to complement Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews would give them relief off the workload.
