Can Brandon Aiyuk Break the 49ers Trade-Up Curse?
The 49ers like to trade up to get their guys.
The 49ers have done this quite a bit since 2017, and have continued to do so when they've fallen in love with players. Most importantly, Kyle Shanahan has fallen in love with offensive players and traded up to get them. And when he falls in love with players, he tends to miss.
It all started when the 49ers traded up in the 2017 NFL draft to get linebacker Reuben Foster out of the University of Alabama. Foster had off-field issues coming out. At the combine, he got in a verbal altercation with medical staff. The 49ers still drafted him despite the concerns, thinking they already had a good enough culture to help Foster.
They were wrong. They didn't have a culture in the locker room yet. He was arrested three times while with the 49ers. They thought they got a steal in the draft, but Foster proved them wrong. They released during his second season.
Next, Shanahan thought he found his future quarterback. So he traded up into the third round to select C.J. Beathard from the University of Iowa. This pick was rough. Shanahan saw shades of Kirk Cousins in Beathard.
On the 49ers, Beathard has started 10 games, won one and lost nine. He completed 57.3% of his passes for 2,682 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Awful trade up for a quarterback who got beat out in his second season by an undrafted free agent quarterback -- Nick Mullens. Big miss by Shanahan.
Then he traded up in the fourth round to get running back Joe Williams. That was a head-scratcher. The 49ers didn't have Williams on their draft board. Shanahan convinced John Lynch to put Williams back on the draft board, and decided they needed to draft him. Williams had retired and unretired in college. He clearly didn't want to play football. He never played a down for the 49ers. They released him.
In the 2018 draft, the 49ers traded up to grab wide receiver Dante Pettis from the University of Washington. Pettis went on to have a solid rookie season -- 27 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns. Impressive for a rookie.
Pettis had a five-game stretch near the end of the season when it looked like he would develop into a terrific receiver. In Season 2, he took steps back. He came to training camp as if he already had made it in the league. As a result, he didn't show improvement from Year 1 to 2. He had a bad season and now is fighting for a roster spot going into Year 3.
It certainly seems like the 49ers are cursed or have bad when they trade up.
In the most recent draft, they traded up in the first round to take wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk from Arizona State. Will be another head-scratcher, or can he break the 49ers' trade-up curse?
Shanahan will do everything he possibly can to make Aiyuk look like a star. Otherwise, Shanahan will look bad if Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb become special, because Shanahan passed on those two and said Aiyuk was better.
Aiyuk is a good route runner, which is one of the most important attributes for a receiver in the NFL. But route running isn't the only thing you need in the NFL. Look at Pettis. He's a good route runner, but he still struggles to produce.
Aiyuk is more than a good route-runner. He's fast, he gains yards after the catch, he's tough over the middle, is a dedicated worker, has high character and mental toughness, according to his former head coach Herm Edward. These traits separate Aiyuk from the rest of the rookie wide receiver group.
Aiyuk has the chance to break the 49ers' trade-up curse. He has everything it takes for a receiver to succeed in the NFL. And he comes to a team where he will be schemed open to get the ball in his hands so he can use his athleticism. Shanahan will make sure he gets the most out of Aiyuk.
Shanahan wants to look like he found and created a monster.
