Should the 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers for Darnell Washington?
The Steelers have been trying to trade for Brandon Aiyuk all offseason.
If they had offered the 49ers their first-round pick in exchange for Aiyuk, he probably would be a Steeler right now. But they still could have an opportunity to trade for him in a few months if the 49ers' contract negotiations with Aiyuk don't progress.
Bleacher Report's Alex Kay proposes that the 49ers could trade Aiyuk to the Steelers in exchange for a first-round pick in 2025 and tight end Darnell Washington.
"A first-round pick should get the 49ers' brass listening," writes Kay, "while adding in Darnell Washington—the massive tight end who Pittsburgh brought in with the No. 93 overall pick last year—could sweeten the pot enough to get a deal done. Washington's rookie stats may not jump off the page, but the raw 6'7", 264-pounder could flourish in head coach Kyle Shanahan's creative San Francisco offense. The 22-year-old would immediately slot in as a capable blocking tight end with the upside to replace George Kittle as a top receiving threat down the line."
This is an intriguing offer. The 49ers have been searching for an heir apparent to Kittle for quite some time, and Washington has the talent to be that player. He was a third-round pick last year and would have gotten drafted earlier if not for injury concerns.
But Washington had just 7 catches last season as a rookie and a mere 45 catches total in college. Trading Aiyuk, an All Pro wide receiver, for a tight end who has 52 catches since high school is extremely risky.
If the 49ers wanted Washington, I'm guessing they would have made this trade by now.