What can 49ers expect out of rookie WR Aiyuk?
SANTA CLARA — In an ideal world, the 49ers wouldn’t have to rely on Brandon Aiyuk to provide much during his rookie season. But we’re not living in such a place.
Ideally for San Francisco, Aiyuk would be a bit receiver focused on developing, working behind budding star Deebo Samuel, the clutch Kendrick Bourne, shifty Dante Pettis or efficient Trent Taylor.
Receiver, after all, is one of the toughest positions in the NFL to acclimate as a rookie. It often takes multiple seasons, even for star players. Only 24 rookie receivers the last 10 seasons have had more than 800 yards while 312 have been drafted.
But the 49ers need Aiyuk to play beyond his years to help elevate a receiving corps facing numerous questions.
Samuel will be out the bulk of training camp and could miss time early in the season with a Jones fracture in his foot. Pettis took a significant step back and spent last season in coach Kyle Shanahan’s dog house (the 2018 second-round pick was a healthy inactive during the Super Bowl).
Taylor missed all of last season after needing five surgeries from complications to repair a Jones fracture, the same injury Samuel is dealing with now. And promising second-year player Jalen Hurd, of course, didn’t play because of a fracture in his lower back that prevented him
from traveling with the team to Super Bowl week in Miami. His next NFL snap will be his first.
There’s also all the on-field practice time Aiyuk didn’t get this offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic to learn the intricacies of Shanahan’s complicated offense.
But we know what they say about excuses.
San Francisco traded up to No. 25 in the NFL Draft for Aiyuk after losing last year’s top receiver, Emmanuel Sanders, to the New Orleans Saints in free agency.
There’s good news. Aiyuk has been working out with his new teammates in hopes of smoothing his transition. He caught passes from Jimmy Garoppolo earlier this month during throwing sessions at San Jose State and during the recent trip to Nashville, where most of the team’s prominent skill players worked out before one unnamed player tested positive for COVID19.
Bourne, who’s ever-present on social media, has shared videos of Aiyuk running routes and catching deep passes this week during the slowest period of the NFL calendar before the start of training camp scheduled for July 28.
So what should the 49ers expect from the Arizona State alum in Year 1?
It’s difficult to say. Samuel’s 802-yard campaign in 2019 was the best for a 49ers rookie wideout since Jerry Rice in 1985. But Samuel had a full offseason program and was familiar with Shanahan after playing for San Francisco’s offensive staff during the Senior Bowl before getting drafted.
Aiyuk only had one productive college season before joining the NFL. Two years ago had just 33 catches and 474 yards for the Sun Devils while N’Keal Harry was the team’s top target. Aiyuk in 2017 played junior college ball at Sierra College in Rocklin, just outside Sacramento.
Shanahan was drawn to Aiyuk, in part, for his athleticism. Aiyuk’s 40-inch vertical jump 1.57-second 10-yard split indicate he could be the 49ers’ most explosive receiver. Aiyuk said a core muscle injury slowed down his 40 time at the combine which still came in at a respectable 4.50.
Aiyuk averaged nearly 11 yards after the catch while amassing 65 receptions for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games.