When taking in a practice with the San Francisco 49ers, it is hard not to get a little awe-struck. Their roster is loaded with superstars on both sides of the ball and it is hard to believe until you see it for yourself.

Given the name power on the roster, a lot of attention is given to those players. But, there are always some standouts during the offseason. This year, one player looking to break into that upper-echelon rank is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

The 2020 first-round pick out of Arizona State had a coming-out party during the 2022 season. After spending parts of 2021 in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse, Aiyuk responded with a monster third year with the 49ers.

He set career-highs with 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns. He stepped up big with Deebo Samuel battling some nagging injuries, showcasing the potential to be a No. 1 target himself.

The positive momentum that he built last season has been carried over into the offseason. Aiyuk has been lauded as one of the stars of training camp for the 49ers thus far, as he makes highlight plays regularly.

If Aiyuk has another season as productive as his 2022 campaign, the 49ers are going to have some difficult decisions to make. Already paying Samuel a top-of-the-market contract, and having multiple players also atop their respective positions, it could be hard to find money to pay Aiyuk.

Luckily for the 49ers, he will have his fifth-year option to play out in 2024 and the franchise tag could come into play in 2025. But, if a long-term contract isn’t going to be in the cards, San Francisco can put him on the trade block and acquire some good assets in return for him.

A first-round pick would be coming back to the 49ers at a minimum as that has turned into the going rate for high-end wide receivers on the trade market. Getting premium draft capital in return is certainly better than seeing him leave in free agency for nothing.