Brandon Aiyuk vs. Jalen Hurd: 49ers Training Camp Battle
The next few days, I will preview the 49ers’ top training-camp battles for 2020. Previously, I broke down the battle to be the starting No. 2 cornerback: Emmanuel Moseley versus Ahkello Witherspoon. Now, I break down the battle to be the starting No. 2 wide receiver:
Brandon Aiyuk versus Jalen Hurd
This competition will take place because Emmanuel Sanders signed with the Saints and Deebo Samuel broke his foot and most likely will miss the first month of the season.
Those were the 49ers two starting wide receivers last season. This season, Kendrick Bourne most likely will be one of the two starters Week 1, because he was their No. 3 receiver last year. But who will be the other starter -- Aiyuk the rookie, or Hurd the second-year player?
Hurd has lots of advantages, because this is his second year in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system. Hurd didn’t play last season -- he fractured his back during training camp and went on Injured Reserve -- but he has been learning the system since May of 2019. He should know it much better than Aiyuk, who has been learning the offense via video conference for just the past three months.
Plus, Hurd has significantly more playing experience than Aiyuk. Hurd started 40 games in college -- 29 as a running back in the SEC, and 11 as a wide receiver in the Big 12. Aiyuk started only 15 games -- all in the Pac 12. He transferred to Arizona State from Sierra College, a community college in Rocklin, California.
There’s a real possibility Aiyuk simply won’t be ready to start Week 1 of his rookie season. And if Hurd’s back has recovered completely, he almost certainly will be ready to start.
But that doesn’t mean Hurd will win this competition.
Whoever starts opposite Bourne probably will be fast, because Bourne is one of the slowest wide receivers on the team, and Shanahan values speed more than most coaches. And Aiyuk is faster than Hurd.
But that’s not the main reason Aiyuk almost certainly will start instead of Hurd Week 1.
Aiyuk is the favorite to win this competition because the 49ers traded up to draft him in Round 1. And Hurd was just a third-round pick -- not nearly the same investment.
On most teams, draft position doesn’t affect the depth chart. The general manager picks the players, and the coaching staff plays the best ones regardless of their draft slots. A true meritocracy.
But on the 49ers, the coaches mostly scout and pick the players. Meaning Shanahan and wide receivers coach Wes Welker hand-picked Aiyuk and advocated for John Lynch to trade up to take him. So Shanahan and Welker already like Aiyuk.
If they don’t start Aiyuk Week 1, if they bury him on the depth chart instead, then they’ll bring into question their own ability to judge talent and scout players. Meaning they’ll open themselves up for criticism. No one likes to do that.
So the 49ers coaching staff probably will start Aiyuk in the regular-season opener primarily to protect their perceived personnel expertise. Same reason running back Tevin Coleman probably will start Week 1 even though the whole world knows Raheem Mostert is better.
Nothing against Aiyuk -- he might blow away expectations. But ready or not, here he comes.
