The San Francisco 49ers roster two of the best wide receiver in the NFL in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. However, the best receiver currently on the 49ers may not be with the franchise when Week 1 rolls around.
Aiyuk was ranked as the No. 10 wide receiver in the league in a poll featuring NFL executives, coaches and scouts by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Samuel was listed as an honorable mention, with injuries being his biggest drawback. As for Aiyuk, his breakout 2023 campaign caught the eye of many across the league.
“More downfield production, huge jump in yards per catch, quietly has almost 300 catches,” one NFL executive said. “Excels as a blocker. Lower body ability as good as anyone.”
“Premier route runner with open-field juice,” an NFL personnel evaluator added.
It's clear to see why Aiyuk ranked as high as No. 3 on at least one participant's poll. Starting 16 games in 2023, Aiyuk caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He proved he can be a premier playmaker, setting a new career-high with 17.9 yards per reception. Aiyuk would be the top receiver for most teams in the league.
San Francisco is hoping that can remain the case for their squad, but things aren't looking great. Aiyuk has requested a trade with both sides being unable to see eye-to-eye on a new contract. While it's unclear if the 49ers plan on granting that request, it's clear to see that things are looking murky at best.
Losing Brandon Aiyuk would be a massive blow to San Francisco. The wide receiver has truly found his stride and developed into the first-round player the 49ers hoped he would be. It would be a major loss for him to be dealt away right at the cusp of his development.
The front office will need to come to a resolution on Aiyuk sooner rather than later. San Francisco knows their offense is better with Aiyuk in it. But if fences truly can't be mended, the 49ers can at least take solace knowing their roster is full of playmakers.
Don't forget about Deebo Samuel
Aiyuk's breakout season took away the spotlight from Samuel in 2023. While he missed a pair of games, Samuel went on to catch 89 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. If Aiyuk were to leave the team, Samuel would likely revert back to his WR1 status.
It's a role that he has more than proven he can handle. While injuries held him back in 2023, Samuel's 2023 season saw him set new career-highs in receptions (77), yardage (1405) and touchdowns (six). He also led the league with his 18.2 yard per catch metric.
The emergence of Aiyuk has cut back on Samuel's attention in the pass game, but it has also allowed San Francisco to use him in other ways. Over his past three seasons, Samuel has run the ball 138 times for 822 yards and 16 touchdowns. His rushing ability has given San Francisco a much more dynamic offense, catapulting them to the top of the league.
If Aiyuk were to leave, perhaps Samuel wouldn't receive as many rushing attempts. Still, Kyle Shanahan will attempt to be creative in his pay design. It would be a major difference without Aiyuk out there.
The 49ers are hoping that doesn't happen, and his top 10 ranking shows why. Brandon Aiyuk is starting to shine and is looking for a long-term opportunity to cash in. Whether that comes in San Francisco or not is yet to be seen.
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