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PFF Says Brandon Aiyuk is the 49ers' Best Trade Asset

The 49ers might be able to find a team willing to trade for Aiyuk, but probably wouldn't get more than a fourth-round pick in return.

Grant Cohn

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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John Lynch made it clear at the NFL Scouting Combine last month that the 49ers are listening to trade offers for Brandon Aiyuk.

Does that mean Aiyuk is the 49ers' best trade asset?

Pro Football Focus believes he is. Here's why:

"San Francisco has retooled its roster going into 2025, moving on from Deebo Samuel, Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave and others," writes PFF analyst Bradley Locker. "On the surface, it wouldn’t seem like the same applies to Aiyuk, but there’s more than meets the eye.

"Aiyuk was involved in trade scenarios for nearly four months last summer before agreeing to a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers. Still, he turned in a career-low 74.1 PFF receiving grade before tearing his ACL in Week 7.

"Reports have resurfaced about the team wanting to trade Aiyuk, especially before $31 million is guaranteed on April 1. That gives credence to the idea that a swap could happen after nearly a year of build-up."

PFF nails why the 49ers would like to trade Aiyuk, but they don't explain why another team would want to give up a significant asset for him. Keep in mind, he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus last season and his contract is extremely expensive.

The 49ers might be able to find a team willing to trade for Aiyuk, but probably wouldn't get more than a fourth-round pick in return.

Which means Aiyuk isn't their best trade asset. If they really want to get a first-round pick, they'd have to trade Brock Purdy.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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