Brandon Aiyuk has been a fascinating player since he entered the league. As a former JUCO/Arizona St. standout and first-round pick by the 49ers, he has all the tools to be a dynamic wide receiver at the NFL level.
In his rookie season, he finished as WR33 in 0.5 PPR on the season. But due to some injuries, Aiyuk only played in 12 games that season. In points-per-game, he was 17th among WRs.
Despite finishing as a top-20 receiver in PPG, Aiyuk was being drafted as WR20 before the 2021 season. However, his sophomore year campaign got off to a rocky start, with Aiyuk in on less than 70% of snaps in the Niners' first six games. Coach Kyle Shanahan believed Aiyuk needed more coaching, preparedness, and practice as an NFL receiver. Aiyuk has since exited that "doghouse," and in an article from NBC Sports in November of last year, Aiyuk said, "I think [Shanahan's] thing that he tells me now, he felt I was never really coached the way I should have been coached as a receiver."
After the "doghouse" days early in 2021, Aiyuk went on to be WR14 in 0.5 PPR from Week 8 to 18. He racked up the yards and catches after getting back on the field for a steady set of snaps. Last season, Aiyuk was once again a consistent target for what was a wild QB ride in the bay area. Catching passes from Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Brock Purdy, Aiyuk was the team's most consistent receiver. He ended the year leading the team in targets (114), receptions (78), and receiving yards (1015) and was second on the team with eight receiving touchdowns. All of this led to Aiyuk finishing as WR15 in 0.5 PPR. He was only ten points off from finishing as a WR1 in 2022.
So, can Aiyuk take that success and go further with it in 2023? The first question that will come with Aiyuk's success is who will be starting for the 49ers in 2023. The rumors are that, if healthy, the starting QB job is Brock Purdy's to lose. In the final three weeks of the regular season, Aiyuk was targeted 24 times by Purdy. With Purdy attempting 77 passes in those games, Aiyuk had a 31% target share. Additionally, Aiyuk is on a high-powered offense run by one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Shanahan. With Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey as other weapons within the offense, defenses are spread pretty thin whenever playing the Niners. Aiyuk will continue to get opportunities to excel in this offense as a receiver.
It is very achievable for Aiyuk to be in the top 20 wide receivers in 2023. And the chips could fall for him to get into the late WR1 range. Aiyuk is a skilled receiver who consistently gets his share of targets and receptions. It wouldn't take much more to excel into that WR1 tier.
While questions still remain about how much production Aiyuk can get while being in a crowded San Francisco offense, there are no arguments about the fact that Aiyuk is a WR talent. With over 2,700 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns in his short three-year career, Aiyuk is, at worst, a WR2 and has the upside that can put him in the WR1 realm. Aiyuk led the Niners in targets and receiving yards a year ago and has become a trusted piece in their offensive game planning. Finding players like this in an offense as potent as San Francisco's should not be all that easy. But with Aiyuk, it seemingly is not that costly.
