NFL Insider Says 49ers Could Trade Brandon Aiyuk During the Draft

The A.J. Brown trade is a great frame of reference.

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) during Super / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If the 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk, they'll do so this week during the draft according to one NFL Insider.

NBC's Mike Florio recently wrote an article explaining how an Aiyuk trade could go down on Thursday or Friday. Here's what he wrote:

"From San Francisco’s perspective, the smart move would be to keep quiet, if a trade is being contemplated. The goal should be to do the deal when the pick they’d be acquiring is on the clock, like the Titans did in 2022 when they traded receiver A.J. Brown and acquired Philadelphia’s first-round pick. The timing prevents the 49ers from being leapfrogged by a team that might guess right as to the player the 49ers would be taking, if they get the pick before it’s time for the pick to be used."

The A.J. Brown trade is a great frame of reference. The Titans traded him on draft night to the Eagles two years ago for pick nos. 18 and 101, then the Eagles immediately signed him to a contract extension. So that's roughly what the 49ers should expect to get if they trade Aiyuk.

The two teams who have reportedly pursued Aiyuk this offseason at the Jaguars and the Steelers, who own pick nos. 17 and 20, respectively. So if the 49ers trade Aiyuk, expect the trade to happen when one of those two teams are on the clock.

And with the 17th or the 20th pick, the 49ers could take the best wide receiver available, the best offensive tackle available or even the best tight end available if it's Brock Bowers.

Stay tuned.