The San Francisco 49ers lost veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders this offseason but hope they filled the void during the draft with the selection of Brandon Aiyuk out of Arizona State with the No. 25 overall pick.
NBC Sports analyst and close friend of Kyle Shanahan, Chris Simms, last month said that the 49ers head coach compared Aiyuk to a Hall of Fame receiver Isaac Bruce. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were even willing to select the receiver with their earlier first-round pick, had the draft played out differently.
"He can play the X, he can play the Z, he can play the F," Shanahan said of Aiyuk after the draft. "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, to being as good as God ever intended him to be."
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated this past week ranked his top contenders for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has the 49ers rookie receiver at the No. 4 spot with only Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa listed above him.
"Kyle Shanahan has a very clear vision for his receivers," writes Breer, "and you'll see quickly that's true of Aiyuk. Plus, he showed last year his ability to get rookie production out of the position (Deebo Samuel had 57 catches for 802 yards and three scores). So I think Aiyuk will be the quickest to translate of the rookie receivers, and he's my top contender among them for OROY."
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs is listed one spot behind Aiyuk at No. 5.
Aiyuk recorded 98 receptions for 1,666 yards with 11 touchdowns in two seasons with the Sun Devils after transferring from Sierra College.