Tag: Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk has chance to end curse of 49ers 1st-round wide receivers

Brandon Aiyuk has a chance to snap a long streak of bad luck for the 49ers in the NFL draft.

The bar set for 49ers first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk is not high if recent 49ers draft history is the barometer for his success. The team’s overall success in selecting wide receivers over the last 20 years has not been good. It can probably be better labeled as ‘disastrous,’ although Kyle Shanahan has started having some success. The first-round choices have been particularly rough. That’s where Aiyuk has a chance to snap a pretty dismal streak that dates back to 1986 – the year after the 49ers selected Jerry Rice in the first round.

Here are all the wide receivers San Francisco drafted in the first round since 1986:

1995, JJ Stokes (10th overall pick)
2004, Rashaun Woods (31st overall pick)
2009, Michael Crabtree (9th overall pick)
2012, AJ Jenkins, (31st overall pick)
2019, Brandon Aiyuk (25th overall pick)

There is a range of disasters among the four players prior to Aiyuk. As a whole they combined for 681 catches, 8,626 yards and 57 touchdowns in 207 games. They made zero Pro Bowls, earned no All-Pro nods, and amassed one 1,000-yard season among them.

Jenkins and Woods were particularly brutal choices. Jenkins had no catches in three games before getting traded. Woods caught seven balls for 160 yards and a touchdown in 14 games before getting traded. That’s a worst-case scenario that it’s hard to envision a receiver in Shanahan’s offense running into.

Stokes was a tier above them because he carved out a nice career that just fell short of expectations for the 10th overall pick. His best year came in 1998 when he caught 63 balls for 770 yards and eight touchdowns. He played for eight seasons with the 49ers, but only eclipsed 700 yards twice, and never emerged as a legitimate option to take over the No. 1 receiver mantle from an aging Jerry Rice. This isn’t a disaster type pick, but Shanahan is looking for more from Aiyuk.

Crabtree is a cut above the rest of the group. He earned the lone 1,000-yard season when he had 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns on 85 catches in 2012 – his fourth season. He was also stellar during the team’s Super Bowl run. An Achilles tear before the start of the 2013 campaign kept him from building on the previous year, and he never regained that success with the 49ers.

There’s a chance given San Francisco’s roster construction that Aiyuk can quickly put himself in a tier with Crabtree, or perhaps above it. He joins a group of pass catchers that includes All-Pro tight end George Kittle, and another dynamic wide receiver in Deebo Samuel. Aiyuk is at his best after the catch, and Shanahan’s offense will devise ways to get him the ball with a chance to create additional yards. If he gets up to speed quickly, he should have plenty of opportunities to outproduce 34 years worth of 49ers first-round wide receivers.

Kyle Shanahan details why he liked Brandon Aiyuk so much in NFL draft

Brandon Aiyuk didn’t have a great 40 time, but Kyle Shanahan still had him at the top of his draft board.

The 49ers threw a little bit of a curveball late in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. First, they passed on Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, the two consensus top receivers available when San Francisco picked at No. 14. Then, they traded up from No. 31 to No. 25 to pick Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said in his post-draft press conference that Aiyuk was his favorite receiver in the class, even ahead of Jeudy, Lamb and Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III, who went No. 12 overall to the Raiders.

Shanahan joined Tim Kawakami on the TK Show podcast and elaborated on why he liked Aiyuk more than any other receiver in a deep 2020 class.

“When I look at Aiyuk I like that he can run every single route,” Shanahan told Kawakami. “He can run them from all three positions. The toughness he plays with. He’s a very smart player. He can do everything. He did time out a 4.5 (40-yard dash), but he had one of the fastest (10-yard splits) in the draft, which means I think he can get from zero to 10 yards as fast as anyone, and that translates pretty well. And I do think he runs better than his 4.5 on tape. You look at like his GPS times, which we get a lot of, and he’s one of the faster receivers that’s recorded in games. So, I like how he plays.”

The 49ers used GPS times to track linebacker Dre Greenlaw in last year’s draft and determined he was faster than his testing indicated. It sounds like they received the same feedback from the data on Aiyuk.

Shanahan also said the 49ers were ready to trade back if Javon Kinlaw wasn’t available. He was, so they moved back one spot to No. 14 and picked him there. They didn’t expect Aiyuk to last to the mid-20s and thought they wouldn’t have a chance to pick him. When he slid to 25 though, Shanahan and the 49ers pounced.

The result was limited draft capital, but San Francisco walked away from the first round with the top two players on their board and filled both of their biggest needs.

It’ll be interesting to see how much the 49ers put on Aiyuk’s plate early in his NFL career. They eased Deebo Samuel in last season, but they wouldn’t have traded three picks to move up in the first round if they didn’t think Aiyuk was going to have a significant impact. He’s due to replace Emmanuel Sanders, who became one of Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite targets after arriving in San Francisco via midseason trade.

If Shanahan is right about Aiyuk and the rookie quickly earns the trust of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers will be very difficult to stop.

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Projecting roles for each 49ers 2020 NFL draft pick

The 49ers have five draft picks who could all carve out significant roles on their roster.

The 49ers went into the 2020 NFL draft with a purpose. They turned limited draft capital into five selections that all filled needs and easy-to-envision roles as rookies.

It won’t be easy to replicate last year’s success, but their draft class should give them an opportunity to do so with a relatively similar roster.

Here’s what kind of role each of the 49ers’ five 2020 NFL draft picks should have in their rookie seasons:

DL Javon Kinlaw

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

There’d be no drop off between Kinlaw and DeForest Buckner in an ideal world. The reality is Kinlaw likely won’t step in and play at an All-Pro level. However, the No. 14 overall pick will be tasked with stepping into the role largely occupied by Buckner on the defensive front. He’ll hold up blockers in the run game and collapse the middle of the pocket as a pass rusher. Whether he can play almost 80 percent of the snaps remains to be seen, but he’ll be tasked to carry a heavy load along the interior of the defensive line right away.

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49ers 2020 NFL draft gets good grade despite limited picks

The 49ers’ 2020 NFL draft grade was good despite limited picks.

The 49ers didn’t have a ton of assets to work with heading into the 2020 NFL draft. They turned their five picks into a group of first-year players that fill immediate needs, and a Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams to take over for the retired Joe Staley.

After a slew of trades on Days 1 and 3 of the draft, San Francisco wound up picking twice in the first round, and once in each of the final three. Their five-pick haul received a ‘B’ grade from Touchdown Wire.

The strong grade came because the club acquired Williams and addressed their top-two needs with “an estimable 1-2 punch at the top of their draft.”

Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, the No. 16 overall pick, should slot in right away and consume most of DeForest Buckner’s snaps for a fraction of the price. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk went 25th, and he should offer a nice complement to Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne.

The Aiyuk acquisition involved a trade up that included three picks. Both he and Kinlaw should have an impact early on in their 49ers tenures.

Where things get interesting, and perhaps the reason San Francisco could wind up pulling a higher grade in a re-grade a few years down the line, is the players they scooped up in the late rounds. There weren’t any huge splashes, but they all fit.

Colton McKivitz, a fifth-round pick out of West Virginia, played tackle in college, but will likely move inside where he can compete for the starting right guard job. San Francisco has loaded up on versatile offensive linemen the last couple offseasons, which allows them maximum flexibility with their roster and the ability to better withstand injuries. McKivitz fits that mold.

Their sixth-round pick is another practical choice that lacks a ton of flair. Georgia tight end Charlie Woerner caught only 34 passes and one touchdown in four years of college. He excelled as a run blocker though, which is the role he’ll take on in the 49ers’ offense. Adding a top-tier blocking tight end to an already dominant running game is smart roster construction.

Jauan Jennings is the exact opposite of Woerner from flair standpoint. The seventh-round wide receiver from Tennessee doesn’t have a ton of speed or explosiveness, but he turns every catch into a fist fight. He has a good frame that he uses to screen defenders away from the catch, he makes tough receptions through contact, and he runs after the catch looking to inflict pain. His physical limitations may catch up with him in the NFL, but the logic for adding him on a late-round flier tracks. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is looking to add as many dominant after-the-catch receivers as he can, and Jennings was that in college.

The 49ers took some gambles in the 2020 draft, but they’re on track to extend their championship window if this class transitions well to the NFL. A ‘B’ is a fair grade for now, but that could wind up rising in the future.

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2020 49ers draft class: All 5 picks made

Breaking down all 5 49ers picks in the 2020 NFL draft class.

The 49ers wound up with five picks in the 2020 NFL draft after a slew of trades, including one that landed them seven-time Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams from Washington.

They didn’t fill all of their pre-draft needs, but their shrewd moves around the board landed them players who should be able to carve out contributing roles right away.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each selection:

Round 1, Pick 14 | DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers traded back one spot from pick No. 13 to snag Kinlaw. He is a a 6-5, 324-pound monster in the middle with the athleticism to play all over the line. Kinlaw uses his long arms and explosiveness to light up offensive linemen and quickly shed them on his way to the backfield. The sack numbers aren’t great (10 in his last two seasons), but his physical skill set puts his ceiling in the realm of DeForest Buckner, who he was brought in to replace. They want a strong defensive line – and Kinlaw gives them that opportunity.

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Herm Edwards invokes Jerry Rice when describing Brandon Aiyuk’s speed

Brandon Aiyuk’s college coach played against Jerry Rice, and compared the two receivers on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco.

Arizona State head football coach Herm Edwards was careful when he invoked the name Jerry Rice while describing wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Still, the name of the legendary 49ers receiver came up Friday when Edwards joined Damon, Ratto and Kolsky on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco.

The 49ers selected Aiyuk with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 draft. He spent two seasons at Arizona State – both with Edwards.

Edwards brought Rice into the conversation for a very specific reason while describing Aiyuk’s speed, and made sure he wasn’t drawing a direct comparison between the two.

“I’m not saying he’s compared to this guy, because he’s not,” Edwards said. “But Jerry Rice, if you ran him in the 40, you go ‘this guy can’t run.’ Jerry Rice in a football uniform? Playing a football game? And I know — I tried to cover him. You ain’t catching him. That’s football speed. This guy’s got football speed now.”

Aiyuk ran a fairly pedestrian 4.5 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which may have aided in his slide down the board despite averaging more than 18 yards per catch for the Sun Devils last season.

He looks faster than that on tape though, and his 9.9 yards after the catch speak to him possessing more speed than his 40-yard dash indicates.

Another noteworthy piece of information Edwards gave the show is that he and his wife are the godparents of general manager John Lynch’s daughter, and Lynch and his wife are the godparents to Edwards’ son. Because of that, nothing was off the table when Lynch reached out to Edwards for intel on Aiyuk.

It’s clear the 49ers believe Aiyuk has all the tools to be productive as a receiver in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. An extra in-game gear that doesn’t show up in workouts should help him take advantage of the space Shanahan’s play calling generates. Add in the notes on intangibles Lynch likely got from Edwards and Aiyuk is on track to prove worthy of the trade up San Francisco made to get him.

49ers get strong NFL draft grades from Draft Wire

The 49ers NFL draft got good early reviews in the Draft Wire grades.

The 49ers made a pair of selections on Day 1 of the NFL draft. They traded down from the No. 13 pick to No. 14 where they took South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw. That wasn’t a huge surprise. The curveball came when San Francisco traded three picks, including the No. 31 choice, to move up six spots to No. 25 and draft Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

All the maneuvering and unloading three of their limited number of picks was worth it according to Draft Wire. They gave the 49ers a pair of good grades for their efforts.

The Kinlaw selection got an ‘A’ from Draft Wire:

In return for a fourth-round pick, the 49ers landed the player they likely would have taken at their original spot. That’s a huge win for a team that has a pair of first-round picks, but no other selections until the fifth round prior to this move.

Kinlaw’s combination of size and versatility make him a dangerous addition to what was already one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive fronts.

General manager John Lynch in his post-draft video conference said Kinlaw was one of the six players San Francisco identified as ‘foundational.’ Given their need at defensive tackle, if Kinlaw turns into a player the 49ers can rely on to wreak havoc in the middle, this could end up being the steal of the draft.

The Aiyuk pick wasn’t as highly praised, but it still got good marks with a ‘B’ grade. The 49ers unloaded three picks, including Nos. 31 and 117, which they acquired in their earlier trade back, to scoop up the ASU product.

Aiyuk is a well-rounded pass-catcher who is a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan, and will pair well with the versatility of Deebo Samuel. Jimmy Garoppolo needed someone who can quickly develop into a true No. 1 target, and Aiyuk absolutely has the skill set to do it.

The 49ers still don’t have any Day 2 picks, but they’re leaving the first round with impact players on both sides of the ball. Oh, and they already won the NFC last year.

There was some thought the 49ers would prioritize receiver earlier in the draft, but they were able to wait for what Kyle Shanahan called his favorite receiver in this year’s class.

Pairing Aiyuk with Deebo Samuel is going to be a headache for defenses, and if he plays as well as Samuel as a rookie, this grade should get a bump in hindsight.

San Francisco doesn’t have another pick until early in the fifth round so their draft class may be light. If their first two picks wind up working out though, the quantity of the picks won’t matter.

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Brandon Aiyuk, CeeDee Lamb were Kyle Shanahan’s favorite WRs

Kyle Shanahan got his favorite WR in the NFL draft when the 49ers picked up Brandon Aiyuk.

The 49ers waited until the 25th pick in the first round to make their move and draft a wide receiver. They traded three picks to move up six spots from No. 31 to select Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the draft. that the former Sun Devil was his favorite receiver in the class.

Lamb was regarded by some draft analysts as the best player at the position in this year’s class. The 49ers had an opportunity to select Lamb at No. 13, and again when they traded back to No. 14. They passed both times. Now it’s clear why.

Shanahan’s board didn’t follow the conventional wisdom of the internet. He coveted a receiver some didn’t even have in the class’ top five.

It’s easy to see why Shanahan likes Aiyuk given the coach’s penchant for creating space and Aiyuk’s ability to turn any catch into a big play. There’s some crossover between Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel’s skill sets, but they’re different enough that Aiyuk can help fill some of the role vacated by Emmanuel Sanders. Shanahan appears to be aiming for an offense with as many Swiss Army knives as possible, and he got his favorite one in this year’s draft.

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WATCH: 49ers draft pick Brandon Aiyuk’s highlights are electric

Brandon Aiyuk’s college highlights are so much fun to watch.

The 49ers used their second first-round pick of the 2020 draft to fill their need at wide receiver. They traded up from No. 31 to No.  25 to snag Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk.

The numbers for Aiyuk, unlike their first pick Javon Kinlaw, leap off the screen. In one year as a starter he averaged over 18 yards per catch and reeled in eight touchdowns.

His highlights are electric.

What’d 49ers ultimately get from DeForest Buckner trade?

The 49ers wound up fetching two players by trading DeForest Buckner to the Colts.

The string connecting the 49ers’ moves after the DeForest Buckner trade ended during the first night of the 2020 NFL draft. It looked like multiple trades down might wind up expanding the web from the Buckner swap for the No. 13 pick, but it wound up moving in a pretty linear direction.

We won’t get deep into the financial moves the trade allowed the 49ers to make. Instead, we’ll strictly stick to what players they acquired off that No. 13 pick.

No. 13 pick became pick Nos. 14 and 117.

No. 14 became South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.

No. 117 was included in the deal that moved the 49ers up from No. 31 to No. 25 where they selected Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

And with that, the trade was complete.

Buckner was moved for Kinlaw and Aiyuk.

Again, that’s solely the draft compensation. The trade came with Buckner about to cash in on a big-time contract extension, so moving him also had some big-picture cap benefits for the 49ers that allowed them to retain players like defensive lineman Arik Armstead and free safety Jimmie Ward, and opened the door for a massive extension to tight end George Kittle.

We won’t be able to judge the trade for multiple years, but if Kinlaw and Aiyuk step in and contribute right away, it’s hard to believe the move won’t at least measure out as a wash.