The best scheme fits — and weirdest misfits — in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Last season, the 49ers had two dominant receivers, and neither one of them fit the typical mold for an actual receiver. There was tight end George Kittle, who was. among other things, Jimmy Garoppolo’s most consistent deep target. And there was rookie receiver Deebo Samuel, who was Kyle Shanahan’s Swiss Army knife in that Samuel could line up all along the formation and do multiple things. That still left Shanahan, the NFL’s best offensive play-caller, one guy short. Every offense needs a receiver who can get open vertically, help take the top off a defense, and help his quarterback create explosive plays. When the 49ers took Aiyuk with the 25th overall pick, they got that guy — in spades.

“You wouldn’t just peg him at one position,” Shanahan said after the pick of his newest target. “You know, he can do all three. He can play the X, he can play the Z, he can play the F. He’s got the speed to get on top. He’s got the quickness to play in the slot. He’s got the toughness to go over in the middle. And the guy is just completely committed to me in to being as good as God ever intended him to be.”

All true, based on the tape. In many ways, Aiyuk reminds me of a more explosive version of Emmanuel Sanders, who San Francisco traded for last October to try and jump-start their downfield passing game. Sanders was okay in that role, but Aiyuk — who proved last season that he could be a consistent deep receiver and play in the slot at times — makes Shanahan’s offense even more illegal than it was before. Good luck, NFC West.