Summary

Brandon Aiyuk was drafted in the Round 1 (#25 Overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Arizona State University. At Arizona State, over two seasons he totaled 98 receptions, 1,666 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns, averaging about 17.0 yards per reception. In the NFL, prior to injury, Aiyuk had become one of the most dangerous and versatile receivers — by 2023 he earned 2nd-Team All-Pro honors and had amassed roughly 4,305 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns over 69 games (career, as of 2024) before suffering a serious knee injury. Aiyuk is broadly regarded as competitive, explosive, and versatile, capable of producing both as a deep threat and after the catch, however, his lack of commitment in attacking his rehabilitation in 2025 and strife with 49ers ownership despite getting paid handsomely has raised some eyebrows around the league. Aiyuk was placed on the Retired/Left Team list on 12/14/2025.

Strengths

• Explosive speed and deep-threat ability: Aiyuk possesses notable deep-field speed and top-end burst. While he can take the top off a defense, he is especially effective accelerating in short areas to gain separation on intermediate routes.

• Yards-After-Catch & playmaking in space: Once the ball is in his hands, Aiyuk has shown a knack for creating yards after the catch eluding defenders and turning short/ intermediate passes into big gains.

• Solid hands and ball skills: He generally catches the ball cleanly, with reliable hands even when defenders are around. Aiyuk does well to use his body to box out defenders and win contested catches.

• Route-running precision: He has shown ability to stem defenders, sell routes, and get separation and can run a full route tree out of the X, Z, or Slot. Aiyuk plays like a small, zippy receiver while also playing bigger than his measuarables.

Weaknesses

• Press-coverage catching in heavy traffic: Aiyuk can struggle getting off the line against press coverage and can get lost in high traffic situations..

• Average size and physicality: Not even clearing six foot, Aiyuk lacks the size and physical frame that larger, more physical receivers possess, which is why you might see production dip if asked to line up on the boundaries in the red zone.

• Injury concerns / durability risk: Aiyuk suffered a serious knee injury (ACL/MCL) in 2024 — such major injuries to lower body joints raise legitimate questions about burst, agility, and long-term durability.

• Production volatility under duress or with injuries: When dealing with injuries or offensive instability, his output has occasionally dipped, showing some sensitivity to context and surrounding variables.

Outlook

Aiyuk projects as a high-upside field-stretching receiver — ideal for offenses that want to threaten defenses vertically and exploit mismatches in space. When healthy and in rhythm, he brings game-breaking speed, YAC ability, and enough route-running nuance to be a WR1 or high-level WR2. If he fully recovers from his knee injury and regains his pre-injury burst and agility, he has the physical and technical tools to regain elite WR status. However, the knee injury introduces risk: a slower, less explosive Aiyuk would need to increasingly rely on his route intelligence, hands, and savvy rather than straight-line speed. Whether its long term in San Francisco or with another club, if he can adapt and remain healthy, he could continue to be a valuable offensive weapon; if not, his role may shift toward a more complimentary or situational slot/deep-threat.