9. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 205
40-Yard Dash: 4.5 seconds
Bench Press: 11 reps
Vertical Jump: 40 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 8 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Brandon Aiyuk went the Junior College route, enrolling at California’s Sierra College after high school. During his two years in JUCO, he totaled 2,499 all-purpose yards, and 21 touchdowns. His prowess while at Sierra brought the big programs to campus, and Aiyuk spurred offers from Alabama, Tennessee and Kansas to play for the Sun Devils. His decision was influenced heavily by the fact that only Arizona State wanted him to play at wide receiver.
Aiyuk stepped right into the starting lineup, catching 33 passes for 474 yards and three touchdowns his first season in the desert. Last year he became more of a focal point in the ASU offense, and he caught 65 passes on 99 targets for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging an impressive 18.3 yards per reception.
Stat to Know: Aiyuk is a monster after the catch. He averaged 10.9 yards after the reception in 2019, placing him sixth in FBS in that category.
Strengths: Home run hitters at the wide receiver position come in different forms. Some are the vertical threats, like Denzel Mims. Others work underneath but can take plays to the house with their explosiveness and speed, such as Henry Ruggs III. Aiyuk is a combination of both. He is a threat in the vertical passing game, as he tallied 384 yards on throws over 20 yards last season – 38th most in college football – on just 19 deep targets. But he can also turn those short routes into huge gains. Aiyuk is explosive off the line of scrimmage and maintains that speed into and out of his breaks, and through the catch point. Watch how he maintains his speed through the catch on this long touchdown against Washington State:
Washington State did not respect Brandon Aiyuk.
Let's learn from the Cougars' mistakes. pic.twitter.com/fKmnPNpOE5
— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) March 8, 2020
His explosiveness allows teams to involve him in the screen game as well as a runner. Jet sweeps are a way to get him involved in the offense, and on screens you see his burst and the immediate transition from receiver to runner after the catch. Pro Football Focus charted him with 241 yards last season on screen plays, eighth-most in college football.
Aiyuk can also be an immediate contributor on special teams, in the kick and punt return game. While that has been minimzed over the past few seasons in the NFL through rule changes, he can still change field position in a flash if given the chance. Last year he averaged 34 yards per kick return, and 16.1 yards per punt return. A few fewer first downs that the offense needs to pick up on the ensuing drive.
Weaknesses: Aiyuk seems to lack the confidence in his hands that other prospects in this class display on film. He lets a number of throws into his frame, and often looks more of a “body catcher” than anything else. That has translated into a lack of consistency at the catch point and on contested catch situations. His catch radius could be better, given his massive wingspan (Aiyuk measured in with a six foot, eight inch wingspan, impressive for someone six feet tall). There were times when he failed to bring in throws outside of his frame, which again points to the lack of confidence in his hands. Some might wonder at his lack of production his first year at ASU, and why he did not cut more into N’Keal Harry’s numbers in 2018. But I think his production in 2019 speaks for itself in that regard.
Conclusion: What Aiyuk brings to the table is impressive. His explosiveness off the line of scrimmage coupled with his ability to take any route to the house makes him an enticing prospect at the position. However, the first job of a receiver is to catch the football, and his inconsistency in that regard might give teams pause. Even with those issues, Aiyuk is still a scheme diverse receiver who can contribute immediately given his burst and ability after the catch, as he fine-tunes the craft of playing the position in the NFL.
Comparison: To ask Aiyuk himself, the comparison is Odell Beckham Jr. The prospect made that claim earlier this draft season. You can also see some Chris Godwin to his game, that comparison was suggested to me by Joe Ferraiola, a former colleague of mine at Inside the Pylon.
Lamb | Jeudy | Ruggs III | Shenault | Jefferson | Higgins | Mims | Reagor | Aiyuk | Pittman | Johnson