The 49ers waited until the 25th pick in the first round to make their move and draft a wide receiver. They traded three picks to move up six spots from No. 31 to select Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the draft. that the former Sun Devil was his favorite receiver in the class.
Lamb was regarded by some draft analysts as the best player at the position in this year’s class. The 49ers had an opportunity to select Lamb at No. 13, and again when they traded back to No. 14. They passed both times. Now it’s clear why.
Shanahan’s board didn’t follow the conventional wisdom of the internet. He coveted a receiver some didn’t even have in the class’ top five.
It’s easy to see why Shanahan likes Aiyuk given the coach’s penchant for creating space and Aiyuk’s ability to turn any catch into a big play. There’s some crossover between Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel’s skill sets, but they’re different enough that Aiyuk can help fill some of the role vacated by Emmanuel Sanders. Shanahan appears to be aiming for an offense with as many Swiss Army knives as possible, and he got his favorite one in this year’s draft.
