Brandon Aiyuk is a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, drafted No. 25 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Aiyuk is a native of Reno, Nevada, and played junior college football at Sierra College before transferring to Arizona State University before the 2018 season. He played two years at Arizona State, scoring eight touchdowns on 65 receptions for 1192 yards in his final season, when he was named First Team All-Pac-12. At 6-0, 205-pounds, Aiyuk ran a 4.50 40-yard Dash at the NFL Combine, also posting a 92nd-percentile Burst Score of 132, and has a 91st-percentile arm length of 33.5-inches.
Aiyuk had a unique trajectory across his first two seasons in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers selected Aiyuk in the first round of the Draft. He was the sixth wide receiver taken in the draft, and began making an immediate impact along with fellow receiver Deebo Samuel (drafted in 2019). During a six-game stretch at the end of his rookie year, Aiyuk averaged 20.8 PPR points per game, seemingly setting himself up for a breakout sophomore season. His ADP rose to the fourth round of Underdog Best Ball drafts.
Aiyuk was in the doghouse with Kyle Shanahan, however, to start the season. He saw zero targets on 12 routes in Week 1. Aiyuk didn’t have 50 Air Yards in a game until Week 8. He went on to average 13.1 PPR points per game after that, however, earning a season-long average of 10.0 PPR points per game. Many of Aiyuk’s key metrics took a turn for the worse in 2021 due to his relegated role for the first half of the season. His Target Share dropped from 24.2-percent to 18.5-percent. His routes run dropped from 36 routes per game to 26, and he earned only five Deep Targets versus 12 in his rookie season.
In 2022, Aiyuk posted career highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He had his first 1000-yard season on a 23.5-percent Target Share. Aiyuk also ranked No. 3 among wide receivers in Target Separation. He adapted to changing 49ers quarterbacks, and has become a top target in Shanahan's offense. Ayuik's superstar aura somehow shined brighter in 2023 when he set a new personal record with 1,342 receiving yards. As his rookie deal comes to a close, Aiyuk will continue to be a key weapon for the Niners. There has been some rumors swirling on social media about Ayuik's furure with the team, and there was more fuel put to that fire when the team drafted wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Ayiuk has one year left on his rookie deal, and the 49ers are hoping that they can retain his talents.
