The 49ers were expected to make a trade during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but the move they ended up making Thursday night wasn't the expected one.
The 49ers traded the No. 31, No. 117 and No. 176 picks to the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 25 selection. With that pick, the 49ers selected Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
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SIGN UP HERE A number of receivers were on the board for the 49ers to choose from, but Aiyuk should excel in 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
While he's just 6 foot tall, the Sun Devil product has a massive 81-inch wingspan, which gives him a catch radius roughly the size of Mars. Throw in the fact that he has soft hands, good burst off the line and the ability to manipulate corners at the top of routes, and it's easy to see why the 49ers went with the YAC king from the desert.
With Emmanuel Sanders leaving for the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers needed to find another receiver to complement Deebo Samuel, and they certainly did that with Aiyuk. While he could face some issues against physical corners early on, Aiyuk landed in the perfect system to accentuate what he does well.
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Player profile: Brandon Aiyuk
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 205 pounds
Combine measurables
40-yard dash: 4.5 second
Vertical: 40 inches
Broad jump: 128 inches
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