Who’s more vital to 49ers’ offense: Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk?

Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were both subjects of trade speculation before and during the draft. While the San Francisco 49ers seem poised to retain both receivers for at least one more season, their long-term futures with the team remain uncertain.

The 49ers seek to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, which could lead to efforts to offload Samuel's salary as early as next year. However, this remains speculative as the team's brass continues to express support for both players.

RELATED When the 49ers reportedly ceased entertaining Deebo Samuel trade offers

During a segment on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," former NFL running back Robert Turbin was asked which player is more important to the 49ers: Samuel or Aiyuk?

"I'm gonna go Deebo Samuel as the more important player here for the San Francisco 49ers offense because of his versatility, because you can line him up in multiple spots," Turbin responded. "He's in the slot. He's outside. He's in the backfield. We've seen him as a returner."

Turbin emphasized that Samuel's presence on offense also benefits another of head coach Kyle Shanahan's versatile weapons—running back Christian McCaffrey.

Turbin concluded, "Because you can move Deebo Samuel around in spots, give it to him on reverses and things of that nature, you can also hide Christian McCaffrey and do some different things with him as far as throwing some quick screens out to him, out wide, quick swing screens in the slot. So, for me, it's Deebo Samuel for those reasons."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported that trade discussions regarding Samuel likely persisted until just before the start of Day 2 of the draft.

"The 49ers did discuss Deebo Samuel with teams on Day 2 of the draft, but a source said definitively two hours before the second round that San Francisco 'isn't moving him,'" Fowler stated.

Regarding Aiyuk, NFL teams reportedly felt the 49ers' asking price for the fifth-year receiver was too steep.

Fowler shared, "Multiple teams told me they had interest in Brandon Aiyuk, but they believed the 49ers wanted a first-round pick for him, with one comparing the situation to that of A.J. Brown, who went from Tennessee to Philadelphia in 2022 in exchange for the 18th pick. The Eagles then signed him to a four-year, $100 million contract. Trading for Aiyuk would have required a new deal and a premium pick."