Why the 49ers Should Trade Brandon Aiyuk Before the NFL Draft

Aiyuk's contract extension will make him one of the five highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.

Brandon Aiyuk is a great player who deserves more than $25 million per season, but the 49ers would be foolish to pay him. They should trade him instead.

If Aiyuk played for a team that had a quarterback who could make all the throws, an offensive line that specialized in pass protection and a coach who was committed to passing the ball, he'd be worth every penny of his upcoming contract extension. But he plays for the 49ers, a team that ranked dead last in pass attempts last season. So if they extend his contract, they'll never get a good return on their gigantic investment.

Aiyuk's contract extension will make him one of the five highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. But last season, he ranked just 36th in the league in targets, because the 49ers run the ball so much. And when they pass it, they spread the ball around to lots of receivers. Aiyuk isn't even necessarily their No. 1 option. Sometimes it's Deebo Samuel or George Kittle or Christian McCaffrey or Jauan Jennings.

A team that pays Aiyuk more than $25 million per season should have a quarterback with a strong arm who can throw deep, and that's just not Brock Purdy. He throws the vast majority of his passes over the middle, and you don't need to spend more than $25 mlliion per season on a wide receiver to run dig routes behind linebackers on play-action passes.

The 49ers could replace Aiyuk with a player who's much cheaper and their offense wouldn't miss a beat. They should trade him before the draft to the Bills or the Chargers because his trade value never will be higher than it is right now.