ESPN Proposes Potential 49ers-Chargers Trade Involving Brandon Aiyuk

This move would send Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers' first-round pick (no. 31) and their third-round pick (no. 94) to Los Angeles in exchange for their first-round pick (no. 5) and their sixth-round pick (no. 181).

Nov 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Lots of speculation these days that the 49ers could trade Brandon Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there's a dark horse team that could make the best offer, and that's the Los Angeles Chargers.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently published a mock draft in which every team has to make a trade in Round 1, and he had the 49ers trading up with the Chargers. This move would send Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers' first-round pick (no. 31) and their third-round pick (no. 94) to Los Angeles in exchange for their first-round pick (no. 5) and their sixth-round pick (no. 181).

"This trade would value Aiyuk as being worth something like the No. 17 pick on the Jimmy Johnson chart," Barnell writes, "which feels fair in a year in which there are so many talented wideouts available through the draft. If I'm the Chargers, it would be tough to trade for a wideout when I could just stay put and land a potential franchise wide receiver in the top 10. Given Johnston's rookie flameout and the need to not waste any more of Herbert's prime, I could see a case for landing a more reliable solution and attempting to plug multiple holes in one draft."

With the fifth pick in the draft, Barnwell has the 49ers drafting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, whom NFL.com compares Nabers to Justin Jefferson, which means he has a chance to be even better than Aiyuk.

This trade probably won't happen, but it certainly makes sense for both teams.