After taking Javon Kinlaw earlier in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers traded up from No. 31 overall to No. 25 with the Minnesota Vikings to select Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. They gave up picks No. 117 and No. 176 to complete the deal.
After a highly successful 2019 campaign that fell just short of Super Bowl glory, the 49ers didn’t rest on their laurels and made myriad moves in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, including this deal.
The 2019 49ers were led in receiving yards by tight end George Kittle, but their wide receiver corps were underwhelming. 23-year-old Deebo Samuel led the team in receiving yards among wide receivers with 802 and the second highest came courtesy of veteran Emmanuel Sanders, who only finished with 502 (Sanders signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason).
Aiyuk immediately vaults into the conversation as the best wide receiver on the team, and his numbers as a Sun Devil back that up. The 22-year-old only spent two seasons at the university, but his second season was his most prolific.
He accrued 65 receptions and an impressive 1192 yards with 8 touchdowns in his final season, and when combined with his all-purpose talents as a kick and punt returner, the 49ers surely got a versatile offensive weapon late in the first round with Aiyuk.
Though San Francisco did have a top-15 kick returner last season in Richie James, Aiyuk finished his final season at Arizona State with 31.9 yards per kick return, which ranked 5th in the country.
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