The 2022 season was a big one for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He improved his production across the board, living up to the expectations of a first-round pick, which he was during the 2019 NFL Draft.
The key to Brandon Aiyuk finally breaking out was the opportunity. In 2021, many people thought he would take a sizable leap but he landed in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse early in the season and it took a little while for him to get out of there. No visits to the doghouse in 2022 and good health were a perfect combination for a breakout campaign.
Despite the quarterback carousel that the 49ers had, starting the season with Trey Lance before moving on to Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy because of injury, Brandon Aiyuk had a monster season. He finished the year with 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns.
That kind of production has put Brandon Aiyuk in line for a nice new contract sooner than later. San Francisco has a decision to make this offseason when it comes to his fifth-year option, which seems like a no-brainer. The team should exercise that, but the decision about a long-term extension is tougher.
The 49ers are already committed to some big-money contracts. Offensively, they already have four players in Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel who are or near the highest-paid player at each position. You can soon add defensive end Nick Bosa to that list as well. If it comes down to a numbers game, Brandon Aiyuk could miss out.
If that is the case, the team could entertain trade offers for him this off-season. One team who would assuredly show interest in him is the New York Giants. New York is desperate for wide receiver help after Richie James Jr. tied for the team lead in receptions and Darius Slayton, who was nearly cut before the season, led the team in yardage.
Brandon Aiyuk is exactly what the Giants need at the wide receiver position. He would become their No. 1 receiver and has shown that he can fill that role whenever Samuel was sidelined in San Francisco.
What would it cost the Giants to land Brandon Aiyuk? A suggested trade offer would be their first-round pick, No. 25 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and a third-round pick. That would seem to be the baseline for burgeoning wide receivers as that is what the Philadelphia Eagles traded to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for A.J. Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft.
It can be argued that Brandon Aiyuk hasn’t yet reached the level of Brown, but that could be the asking price that San Francisco sets. New York could try to lower the price a little bit, offering a second-round pick instead, but a first and third should be enough to get the deal done.
