The Baltimore Ravens are focused on figuring out their quarterback situation for 2023 and beyond. Lamar Jackson sounds like he is ready to move on, which is bad news for Baltimore as they don’t have a viable long-term option available to turn to. If Jackson leaves, 2023 could be a bit of a reset year for the franchise.
However, regardless of how things go at quarterback, this is a team that needs to upgrade its weapons offensively. The Ravens seem to finally be accepting of that, as they have been linked to numerous wide receivers recently.
During the NFL annual meetings in Phoenix, one of the takeaways was that the Ravens were seeking out wide receiver upgrades. DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals and Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos were two players mentioned as trade targets. Odell Beckham Jr. remains an option in free agency.
If traction can’t be found with any of those players, the Ravens could turn their attention to Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers. Aiyuk is coming off of a career season in which he caught 78 passes for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns and would be a hot commodity on the trade market.
While the 49ers would love to keep him long-term, it may not be in the cards. San Francisco is already paying top-of-the-market money to multiple players on their roster, including fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel. If they come to the reality that they cannot afford to sign Aiyuk to an extension as well, a trade makes sense for them to recoup as much value as possible in return.
What could a trade between the Ravens and the 49ers look like? Using recent history as an example to go off of, Baltimore can make an aggressive offer with two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The No. 22 and No. 86, a first and fourth-round pick, in exchange for Aiyuk. With a Jackson trade looming, which will bring back premium draft capital to the Ravens, it enables them to make an aggressive move for Aiyuk.
During the 2022 NFL Draft, we saw A.J. Brown get traded for a first and a third, while Marquise Brown got traded by the Ravens, with a third-round pick, in exchange for a first. Aiyuk only has one season of putting up WR1 numbers, so he would fetch a little less than A.J. Brown did, but his upside likely trumps Marquise Brown.
Baltimore is in desperate need of a wide receiver upgrade and Aiyuk would fill that need. Along with Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews, the Ravens would have a great trio of pass catchers for their new quarterback. San Francisco would get some great value in exchange for Aiyuk, which would be better than watching him leave in free agency down the road.
