Expectations for Brandon Aiyuk in 2020

Brandon Aiyuk's rookie season in 2020 is going to be a tricky one.

Expectations are always set on a player, coach, or team going into a season. It is used almost like a personal standard set to look back on how the specified person fared.

So what are the expectations for 49ers rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in 2020? 

Well, the easy, knee-jerk reaction would be to say that he is the replacement for Emmanuel Sanders. Once he left for New Orleans, it made the wide receiver position more of a pressing need. 

However, replacing Sanders is more of how it looks on paper than actual impact. Aiyuk can never replace Sanders' impact because what mattered most with Sanders was his experience. Having a savvy veteran like him with a bunch of young receivers paid dividends for the 49ers. His production can easily be replaced, but his presence cannot.

I would hold off on calling Aiyuk a true replacement for Sanders, because Aiyuk can hit those numbers and then some. 

Expectations for Aiyuk should not be heavy going into 2020. That is due to the fact that he is missing a ton of reps with OTAs eliminated. Having those mass amount of reps under his belt going into the season would have made it an easier transition for him. Now he has to try to hit the ground running. 

Unless, of course, the 49ers wise up and bring Aiyuk along slowly. It really depends on how he is looking after every week.

Unfortunately for Aiyuk, he will be held to a high standard. Why? Because he was a first-round pick that the 49ers traded up for. Aiyuk being drafted by the Niners came at a bit of a hefty price. That price is why he is going to be looked at as a player that needs to be producing by Day 1. 

But the reality is he just needs to be contributing consistently. He doesn't need to be this "all-out beast" or anything like that. Just someone that the 49ers can look to from time to time in some situations. It is kind of like how Deebo Samuel was treated prior to Sanders joining the team. 

Samuel wasn't electric until the second half of last season. Before that, he had some rookie woes and wasn't being involved heavily. That is exactly how Aiyuk should be brought along, especially without OTAs. And with the 49ers restocking the wide receiver position, they have plenty of options to look to while Aiyuk comes along. 

The 2020 season is going to be a tricky one for Aiyuk. There will be that pressure to produce given his draft status, but his expectations need to be tapered given the bizarre offseason.