San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk finds himself climbing back up the list of Pro Football Focus' highest-graded rookies. He suffered a slight drop to the No. 4 spot after an impressive Week 14 outing. However, another strong performance on Sunday during the 49ers' 41-33 loss to the Dallas Cowboys has boosted Aiyuk back into the No. 3 spot, slightly edging Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs.
It is worth noting that the article referenced below has Aiyuk tied with Wirfs for the No. 3 spot despite the receiver's grade having a minuscule edge over the offensive lineman's.
"Aiyuk has slowly but surely climbed up these rankings and is now challenging Tristan Wirfs for sole possession of a top-three spot," wrote Anthony Treash. "The start to his rookie campaign was a bit bumpy, as he managed just a 68.7 receiving grade through Week 6 that ranked 55th in the league. Since then, Aiyuk has recorded an 86.3 receiving grade that comes in at No. 7 among wide receivers.
"Since Week 7, the first-year Arizona State product has grabbed at least four first-down receptions in every single game played and has generated the eighth-most yards per route run (2.44)."
PFF's 5 highest-graded rookies
WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings, 90.2
T Michael Onwenu, Patriots, 83.1
WR Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers, 81.4
T Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers, 81.3
DE Chase Young, Washington, 80.6
Aiyuk, a first-round pick, has 733 yards receiving this season, which ranks as the third-most by a rookie in franchise history. He will likely overtake Deebo Samuel's No. 2 spot set last season and could even threaten the top spot held by Jerry Rice, who racked up 927 yards in 1985.
Aiyuk has 59 receptions, ranking second in franchise history to Earl Cooper's 83 in 1980.
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