While most of the homework on the San Francisco 49ers' second selection of the first round, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of Arizona State, took place this offseason, general manager John Lynch and his staff really started to take notice last year while scouting another Sun Devil.
"We started noticing him when we were studying N'Keal Harry (leading to the 2019 draft)," Lynch explained to Colin Cowherd on Tuesday. "N'Keal is a player that we had great interest in last year. He's now with the Patriots. As we were studying him, we kept saying, 'Who's this dude? This guy is pretty good.' He kept showing up in spurts."
Lynch went on to explain how close he is with Arizona State coach Herm Edwards, who was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff during Lynch's time there as a player. Edwards is one of Lynch's closest friends. They are each the godfathers to one of the other's children.
Naturally, Lynch started asking Edwards questions about Aiyuk. The Sun Devils coach told Lynch not to let Aiyuk's lack of production or timed speed fool him.
"So we watched him throughout the year, and he's a guy that just the more you watch, the more you like," Lynch continued. "I think we were probably helped by [his 40-time]. I don't think he was healthy. He's since had that core-muscle surgery, but he ran a 4.5, and our eyes sure didn't see a 4.5. Our eyes saw a guy that never got caught. Sure enough, when I talked to Herm, Herm said, 'Don't believe that. He's a high 4.3 guy all day long.'
"Ultimately, what we liked about him is Kyle (Shanahan) and his staff, I mean, that's one reason when you talk about our hit rate on these receivers, it hasn't been perfect, but they do a tremendous job. They've been in this system for a long time. And so, when you're trying to project with all these college offenses, you have to look at traits, and that's what we do."
Lynch believes there were a couple of receivers in this draft class who ascended above the others — Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb.
"They had the strength to deal with all the holding, and man-to-man, bump-and-run coverage that's going on in today's football," Lynch explained. "But then the speed with the ball in their hands, or to separate during the route, that is special.
"So kind of the complete package with him. And then, talking with Herm, he really sold me on the kid, how competitive the kid is."
Lynch admits that the 49ers would have considered drafting Aiyuk with their first selection had some other things developed differently, and understands that would have raised some eyebrows — and probably some criticism. But it shows how sold the 49ers were on Aiyuk.
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