Now, Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, appeared to dismiss the speculations on Sunday morning, challenging the legitimacy of such allegations, although the 49ers are still negotiating a contract with the great receiver, who is hoping for an extension this summer.
San Francisco has remained staunch in their belief that Aiyuk will be a 49er in 2024, with general manager John Lynch even saying that the organization would be ready to let the receiver play on his fifth-year option this season if a deal cannot be reached.
The timing of the conversation is noteworthy, as the NFL Draft approaches, prompting the question: should the 49ers prioritize the receiving position, and would an early selection reveal anything about Aiyuk’s future with the team?
Taking a receiver early
The 49ers are returning to the first round for the first time since 2021, when they traded up to take quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall pick.
This year, San Francisco has ten picks, one in each of the first three rounds and three in the fourth round to start the draft.
The 49ers’ need for another last second miracle deserves a deep rewind
Looking back on the 49ers’ offseason, it was clear that the team sought to fill the majority of their holes, giving them a clearer vision for the draft, where they could potentially go after the best available players rather than those who best met their needs.
The 49ers signed veterans at a number of critical positions, including cornerback and defensive line, while returning others, such as right guard Jon Feliciano, to ensure they had comfortable options at nearly every starting position.
Looking ahead to the 2024 NFL Draft, the top round is intriguing since the class is rich on offensive line talent, with several first-round-caliber players. However, there appear to be choices at a number of positions that might make sense for San Francisco, including receiver.
Drafting a receiver in the first round might offer San Francisco the coveted fifth-year option, giving them more flexibility than they presently have with Brandon Aiyuk.
However, the team may hunt for a more impactful player, as all three of its best receivers are returning, making it difficult to find playing time at the position in 2024.
Looking into the second and third rounds, however, this class appears to be quite strong in receiving skill, with a number of interesting slot and outside prospects that fit San Francisco’s preferences, including Washington’s Jalen McMillan.
If San Francisco actually wants to go with the best player available, it may be difficult to pass on a receiver in one of those rounds, and it would make perfect sense to take one.
San Francisco returns Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings to the team, giving them a solid receiver group for the 2017 season.
However, looking ahead a year, the 49ers could find themselves in a very different circumstance.
Jauan Jennings is an unrestricted free agent after the season and might command a high contract in free agency, which may be prohibitively expensive for the 49ers.
Deebo Samuel has one year left on his contract, and San Francisco may have to pick between their top receivers, since it would be difficult to pay both wideouts given the number of upcoming deals and the 49ers’ present cap predicament.
So, the 49ers could lose two of their top three receivers next season, leaving a significant vacancy at the position in the future.
As the last several years have demonstrated, acquiring receivers in the draft, where more and more talent is emerging, rather than overpaying for the position in free agency, appears to be the greatest approach to adding to the position.
Over the last several rounds, San Francisco has attempted to not only address urgent needs, but also to fill future vacancies, and the same could be true this summer at receiver.
By picking a receiver on Day 2, the 49ers may give a rookie a year of development before putting them in the mix as the No. 2/No. 3 option in 2025.
