The San Francisco 49ers fell short of winning the Super Bowl large in part due to an inability to keep up with the high-octane offense of the Kansas City Chiefs. As a result, the team emphasized adding more firepower and traded up to take Brandon Aiyuk in the 2020 NFL Draft.
There is plenty of excitement surrounding what Aiyuk may be able to accomplish for the 49ers during his rookie campaign. The do-it-all skill-set he brings to the table will add another deep-threat and big-play talent to help San Francisco field an even more potent offensive attack.
During a conversation with reporters, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that Aiyuk is further ahead than a lot of rookies typically are during this time of year.
“Since we’ve gotten here, going through these walk-throughs, he knows how to practice like a pro,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “You can tell he comes prepared every day. He’s not a guy you’ve had to teach how to act or teach how important it is to learn this stuff. You can tell he understood that before he got here.
“Since we’ve been around him, you can tell he’s been working. That’s why he’s further ahead than a lot of rookies would be at this time.”
When considering the strange circumstances of this year’s NFL offseason, it’s a true testament to Aiyuk’s professionalism that he’s so prepared. It’s clear he has an ability to quickly absorb information and apply it to his responsibilities on the field.
Playing for a coaching staff filled with former NFL personnel at Arizona State undoubtedly has helped Aiyuk hit the ground running at the professional level. For the 49ers, this is key considering Samuel is recovering from a foot injury and Emmanuel Sanders left in free agency.
Adding more layers to the team’s passing repertoire while opening it up with Jimmy Garoppolo throwing more downfield is a needed next step. With Aiyuk’s route-running ability, he should be able to help with this and complement Samuel and George Kittle quite well.
It already appears that Garoppolo has trust when throwing to the rookie wideout. When considering newcomers haven’t always had that occur right away, it’s another factor that bodes well for Brandon Aiyuk to make an immediate impact for the San Francisco 49ers.
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