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49ers Did Not Consider Day 2 Trade Involving WRs Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel

April 26th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top storylines surrounding the 2024 draft has been the uncertain status of 49ers wideouts Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Both have drawn trade interest, but a deal should no longer be considered likely in the immediate future.

Aiyuk in particular has been discussed in trade talks, and San Francisco reportedly sought a draft pick in the middle of the first round on Thursday to pull off a deal. The 2020 first-rounder is believed to be seeking $25MM per year on a new deal, a steep price to pay for the 49ers or an acquiring team (albeit one in line with the top of the receiver market). Samuel, by contrast, is already attached to a lucrative pact.

The latter is set to carry cap hits of $28.63MM and $24.2MM over the next two years. Samuel was the topic of conversation in trade talks between the 49ers and Patriots, while the Bills and Steelers have also checked in. After setting a price point for both Aiyuk and Samuel too high for an agreement to be reached, thought was not given to a new round of negotiations on Friday.

“We didn’t entertain any of that today,” general manager John Lynch said of contemplating an Aiyuk and/or Samuel trade during the second and third rounds of the draft (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News). “We’re happy with our wide receiver group. Actually, more than happy. We’re thrilled with it. And thrilled to add Ricky to it to make it stronger.”

Indeed, San Francisco used the No. 31 pick to add Ricky Pearsall to a receiving depth chart already featuring (at least for now) Aiyuk, Samuel and Jauan Jennings. The 49ers are in position to command a high price for the former two contributors given the age and production, and Lynch has publicly stated a desire to hammer out a long-term Aiyuk agreement.

The sides are not believed to be close on terms, however, and the 49ers have several other skill-position commitments on offense and a Brock Purdy extension to budget for as early as next offseason. San Francisco already owns plenty of draft capital in 2024, and adding Day 3 picks would certainly not provide much incentive for a new round of trade talks to take place. With the window for a swap involving a Day 1 pick having closed, it would likely take massive new offer for Lynch’s stance to change.

2024 NFL Draft Results: Round By Round

April 26th, 2024 at 10:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us. From the No. 1 overall pick to Mr. Irrelevant (No. 257), we will be keeping tabs here:

Round 1

1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels (QB, LSU)
3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye (QB, UNC)
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State)
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt (T, Notre Dame)
6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers (WR, LSU)
7. Tennessee Titans: JC Latham (T, Alabama)
8. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
10. Minnesota Vikings (via Jets): J.J. McCarthy (QB, Michigan)
11. New York Jets (via Vikings): Olu Fashanu (T, Penn State)
12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers (TE, Georgia)
14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga (T, Oregon State)
15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu (EDGE, UCLA)
16. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy (DT, Texas)
17. Minnesota Vikings (via Jaguars): Dallas Turner (EDGE, Alabama)
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims (T, Georgia)
19. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse (EDGE, Florida State)
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu (OL, Washington)
21. Miami Dolphins: Chop Robinson (EDGE, Penn State)
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Toledo)
23 Jacksonville Jaguars (from Browns through Texans and Vikings): Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, LSU)
24. Detroit Lions (from Cowboys): Terrion Arnold (CB, Alabama)
25. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Morgan (OT, Arizona)
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Graham Barton (OL, Duke)
27. Arizona Cardinals (from Texans): Darius Robinson (DL, Missouri)
28. Kansas City Chiefs (from Bills): Xavier Worthy (WR, Texas)
29. Dallas Cowboys (from Lions): Tyler Guyton (OT, Oklahoma)
30. Baltimore Ravens: Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson)
31. San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall (WR, Florida)
32. Carolina Panthers (from Chiefs through Bills): Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)

Round 2

33. Buffalo Bills (from Panthers): Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
34. Los Angeles Chargers (via Patriots): Ladd McConkey (WR, Georgia)
35. Atlanta Falcons (from Cardinals): Ruke Orhorhoro (DT, Clemson)
36. Washington Commanders: Jer’Zhan Newton (DT, Illinois)
37. New England Patriots (via Chargers): Ja’Lynn Polk (WR, Washington)
38. Tennessee Titans: T’Vondre Sweat (DT, Texas)
39. Los Angeles Rams (from Giants through Panthers): Braden Fiske (DT, Florida State)
40. Philadelphia Eagles (from Bears through Commanders): Cooper DeJean (CB, Iowa)
41. New Orleans Saints (from Jets through Packers): Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB, Alabama)
42. Houston Texans (from Vikings): Kamari Lassiter (CB, Georgia)
43. Arizona Cardinals (from Falcons): Max Melton (CB, Rutgers)
44. Las Vegas Raiders: Jackson Powers-Johnson (OL, Oregon)
45. Green Bay Packers (from Broncos through Saints): Edgerrin Cooper, LB (Texas A&M)
46. Carolina Panthers (from Colts): Jonathon Brooks (RB, Texas)
47. New York Giants (from Seahawks): Tyler Nubin (S, Minnesota)
48. Jacksonville Jaguars: Maason Smith (DT, LSU)
49. Cincinnati Bengals: Kris Jenkins Jr. (DT, Michigan)
50. Washington Commanders (from Saints through Eagles): Mike Sainristil (CB, Michigan)
51. Pittsburgh Steelers: Zach Frazier (C, West Virginia)
52. Indianapolis Colts (from Rams through Panthers): Adonai Mitchell (WR, Texas)
53. Washington Commanders (from Eagles): Ben Sinnott (TE
54. Cleveland Browns: Michael Hall (DT, Ohio State)
55. Miami Dolphins: Patrick Paul (OT, Houston)
56. Dallas Cowboys: Marshawn Kneeland (EDGE, Western Michigan)
57. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Braswell (EDGE, Alabama)
58. Green Bay Packers: Javon Bullard (S, Georgia)
59. Houston Texans: Blake Fisher (T, Notre Dame)
60. Buffalo Bills: Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
61. Detroit Lions: Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (CB, Missouri)
62. Baltimore Ravens: Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington)
63. Kansas City Chiefs (from 49ers): Kingsley Suamataia (T, BYU)
64. San Francisco 49ers (from Chiefs): Renardo Green (CB, Florida State)

Round 3

65. New York Jets (from Panthers): Malachi Corley (WR, Western Kentucky)
66. Arizona Cardinals: Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
67. Washington Commanders: Brandon Coleman (OL, TCU)
68. New England Patriots: Caeden Wallace (OT, Penn State)
69. Los Angeles Chargers: Junior Colson (LB, Michigan)
70. New York Giants: Andru Phillips (CB, Kentucky)
71. Arizona Cardinals (from Titans): Isaiah Adams (G, Illinois)
72. Carolina Panthers (from Jets): Trevin Wallace (LB, Kentucky)
73. Dallas Cowboys (from Vikings through Lions): Cooper Beebe (G, Kansas State)
74. Atlanta Falcons: Bralen Trice (EDGE, Washington)
75. Chicago Bears: Kiran Amegadjie (OT, Yale)
76. Denver Broncos: Jonah Elliss (EDGE, Utah)
77. Las Vegas Raiders: Delmar Glaze (T, Maryland)
78. Houston Texans (from Seahawks though Commanders and Eagles): Calen Bullock (S, USC)
79. Indianapolis Colts (from Jaguars through Falcons and Cardinals): Matt Goncalves (T, Pittsburgh)
80. Cincinnati Bengals: Jermaine Burton, WR (Alabama)
81. Seattle Seahawks (from Saints through Broncos): Christian Haynes (G, UConn)
82. Arizona Cardinals (from Colts): Tip Reiman (TE, Illinois)
83. Los Angeles Rams: Blake Corum (RB, Michigan)
84. Pittsburgh Steelers: Roman Wilson (WR, Michigan)
85. Cleveland Browns: Zak Zinter (G, Michigan)
86. San Francisco 49ers (from Eagles through Texans and Eagles): Dominick Puni (OL, Kansas)
87. Dallas Cowboys: Marist Liufau (LB, Notre Dame)
88. Green Bay Packers: MarShawn Lloyd (RB, USC)
89. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tykee Smith (S, Georgia)
90. Arizona Cardinals (from Texans): Elijah Jones (CB, Boston College)
91. Green Bay Packers (from Bills): Ty’Ron Hopper (LB, Missouri)
92. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Lions): Jalen McMillan (WR, Washington)
93. Baltimore Ravens: Adisa Isaac (EDGE, Penn State)
94. Philadelphia Eagles (from 49ers): Jalyx Hunt (EDGE, Houston Christian)
95. Buffalo Bills (from Chiefs): DeWayne Carter (DT, Duke)
96. Jacksonville Jaguars*: Jarrian Jones (CB, Florida State)
97. Cincinnati Bengals*: McKinnley Jackson (DT, Texas A&M)
98. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Eagles)*: Payton Wilson (LB, NC State)
99. Los Angeles Rams*: Kamren Kinchens (S, Miami)
100. Washington Commanders*: Luke McCaffrey (WR, Rice)

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2024 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

April 26th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Round 1, No. 4: Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State)
  • Round 1, No. 27 (from Texans): Darius Robinson (DL, Missouri)
  • Round 2, No. 43 (from Falcons): Max Melton (CB, Rutgers)
  • Round 3, No. 66: Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
  • Round 3, No. 71 (from Titans): Isaiah Adams (G, Illinois)
  • Round 3, No. 82 (from Colts): Tip Reiman (TE, Illinois)
  • Round 3, No. 90 (from Texans): Elijah Jones (CB, Boston College)
  • Round 4, No. 104:
  • Round 5, No. 138:
  • Round 5, No. 162 (from Texans):
  • Round 6, No. 191 (from Colts):
  • Round 7, No. 226 (from Giants):

Atlanta Falcons

  • Round 1, No. 8: Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
  • Round 2, No. 35 (from Cardinals): DT Ruke Orhorhoro
  • Round 3, No. 74: Bralen Trice (EDGE, Washington)
  • Round 4, No. 109:
  • Round 5, No. 143:
  • Round 6, No. 186 (from Vikings through Cardinals):
  • Round 6, No. 187:
  • Round 6, 197 (from Browns):

Baltimore Ravens

  • Round 1, No. 30: Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson)
  • Round 2, No. 62: Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington)
  • Round 3, No. 93: Adisa Isaac (EDGE, Penn State)
  • Round 4, No. 113 (from Broncos through Jets):
  • Round 4, No. 130:
  • Round 5, No. 165:
  • Round 6, No. 218 (from Jets):
  • Round 7, No. 228 (from Jets):
  • Round 7, No. 250:

Buffalo Bills

  • Round 2, No. 33 (from Panthers): Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
  • Round 2, No. 60: Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
  • Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): DeWayne Carter, DT (Duke)
  • Round 4, No. 128:
  • Round 5, No. 141 (from Giants through Panthers):
  • Round 5: No. 144 (from Bears):
  • Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers):
  • Round 5, No. 163:
  • Round 6, No. 204:
  • Round 7, No. 221 (from Panthers through Titans and Chiefs):

Carolina Panthers

  • Round 1, No. 32 (from Chiefs through Bills): Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)
  • Round 2, No. 46 (from Colts): Jonathon Brooks (RB, Texas)
  • Round 3, No. 72 (from Jets): Trevin Wallace (LB, Kentucky)
  • Round 4, No. 101:
  • Round 5, No. 157 (from Browns through Vikings):
  • Round 6: No. 200 (from Cowboys through Texans and Bills):
  • Round 7, No. 240 (from Steelers):

Chicago Bears

  • Round 1: No. 1 (from Panthers): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
  • Round 1, No. 9: Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
  • Round 3, No. 75: Kiran Amegadjie (OT, Yale)
  • Round 4, No. 122 (from Eagles):

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Round 1, No. 18: Amarius Mims (T, Georgia)
  • Round 2, No. 49: Kris Jenkins Jr. (DT, Michigan)
  • Round 3, No. 80: Jermaine Burton, WR (Alabama)
  • Round 3, No. 97: McKinnley Jackson (DT, Texas A&M)
  • Round 4, No. 115:
  • Round 5, No. 149:
  • Round 6, No. 194:
  • Round 6, No. 214:
  • Round 7, No. 224 (from Cardinals through Texans):
  • Round 7, No. 237:

Cleveland Browns

  • Round 2, No. 54: Michael Hall (DT, Ohio State)
  • Round 3, No. 85: Zak Zinter (G, Michigan)
  • Round 5, No. 156 (from Eagles through Cardinals):
  • Round 6, No. 206 (from Ravens):
  • Round 7, No. 227 (from Titans):
  • Round 7, No. 243:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Round 1, No. 29 (from Lions): Tyler Guyton (OT, Oklahoma)
  • Round 2, No. 56: Marshawn Kneeland (EDGE, Western Michigan)
  • Round 3, No. 73 (from Vikings through Lions): Cooper Beebe (G, Kansas State)
  • Round 3, No. 87: Marist Liufau (LB, Notre Dame)
  • Round 5, No. 174:
  • Round 6, No. 216:
  • Round 7, No. 233 (from Raiders):
  • Round 7, No. 244:

Denver Broncos

  • Round 1, No. 12: Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
  • Round 3, No. 76: Jonah Elliss (EDGE, Utah)
  • Round 4, No. 121 (from Dolphins):
  • Round 5, No. 136 (from Panthers through Browns):
  • Round 5, No. 145 (from Jets):
  • Round 5, No. 147:
  • Round 6, No. 207 (from 49ers):

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49ers Acquire No. 86 Pick From Eagles

April 26th, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers have traded up the third-round order, swapping places with the Eagles. San Francisco has dealt Nos. 94 and 132 to Philadelphia in exchange for the 86th pick.

Taking advantage of the move up the board, the 49ers have drafted Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni. He has experience at tackle but also on the inside, and it will be interesting to see where he is used at the pro game. This marks the first selection on either side of the ball with respect to line of scrimmage additions during this year’s draft for San Francisco.

The 49ers have been deemed a team which could be in the market for help along the offensive line, though they elected to add at the receiver spot on Thursday night by selecting wideout Ricky Pearsall. That was followed by the decision to help fill the cornerback spot (Renardo Green), but Puni has the potential to see action early in his career, particularly if he is shifted to guard. 

The latter began his college career at Division II Central Missouri. Puni spent four years there, seeing time at left and right tackle. That was followed by his decision to transfer to Kansas, and he was a first-teamer with the Jayhawks as well. Puni started all 13 of his appearances in 2022 at the left guard spot before kicking back to the blindside during this past season.

San Francisco has Trent Williams entrenched as a foundational offensive piece at the left tackle position, although his future has been called into question with retirement as an option in the not-too-distant future. Colton McKivitz is on the books for the next two years, meanwhile, and he is in line on the right side. Puni’s quickest path to playing time will thus come at guard, and he is regarded as having starting upside – something which would go a long way to filling a notable need for the NFC champions.

Chiefs Trade Up One Spot In Second Round, Swap With 49ers

April 26th, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chiefs could not wait one pick longer and opted to make a deal with the 49ers to move up one spot in the second round. In order to convince San Francisco to switch spots, they gave the 49ers their own second-round pick (64th) and a fifth-rounder (173rd). The 49ers gave them the 63rd pick and a sixth-round, 211th overall selection.

With the trade, the Chiefs moved ahead of San Francisco in order to draft BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. Suamataia started his career at Oregon before transferring to the Cougars. He started his redshirt freshman season for BYU at right tackle in 2022, earning Freshman All-American honors. The following year, the Cougars moved him to left tackle, where he started 11 games and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.

The Chiefs are looking for a new player to start at tackle across from Jawaan Taylor in 2024. Their 2023 left tackle stopgap — Donovan Smith — remains in free agency. The team returns Wanya Morris and Lucas Niang, two third-round picks from the past four years, but neither has established himself as a reliable starter on the offensive line. Kansas City had been linked to the 21-year-old earlier this week, hosting him on a “top 30” visit.

While some teams viewed him as a potential late-first-round option, Suamataia was viewed by many as a project at tackle, expecting some time to be needed for development. If the Chiefs are in a hurry, they may rush Suamataia out there early, regardless, but if they can afford to have Morris or Niang hold down the fort until Suamataia has some time to learn and grow, both the Chiefs and their new rookie tackle could stand to benefit.

Bills, Steelers Interested In Deebo Samuel; WR More Likely To Be Dealt Than Brandon Aiyuk?

April 26th, 2024 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

8:10pm: The Steelers have also shown interest in Samuel, Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He adds, though, that Pittsburgh was unwilling to meet San Francisco’s asking price in a trade. The 49ers’ receiver approach will remain a key storyline to watch with a notable market obviously existing.

Pittsburgh has, of course, long been considered a candidate to pull off a trade at the receiver spot. Dealing away Diontae Johnson created a vacancy in the starting lineup, and to date the team has focused on offensive line (rather than wideout) prospects in the draft. The Steelers may circle back to Samuel if the price were to come down, but in any case they will be a team to monitor.

12:55pm: Passing on a chance to upgrade their receiving corps late in the first round, the Bills have received some attention for being part of trades that allowed the Chiefs and Panthers to made wideout investments. The Bills may have a bigger name in mind.

Buffalo joins New England in being interested in Deebo Samuel, according to the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. The Bills are in dire need at the position, having traded Stefon Diggs and having let Gabriel Davis walk (to the Jaguars) in free agency. Samuel appears a live candidate to be moved, even as Brandon Aiyuk trade talks took place Thursday night.

Samuel was also part of that pre-draft report, and Giardi adds it is now more likely the 49ers move the versatile playmaker than Aiyuk. This would make sense given Aiyuk’s age and superior durability; the 2020 first-round pick is two years younger than Samuel, who turned 28 earlier this offseason. But Samuel is tied to a $23.85MM-per-year contract that runs through 2025. Aiyuk is on a fifth-year option, and an acquiring team would likely need to prepare an extension.

The Patriots discussed Samuel with the 49ers on Thursday, but the team held onto both its wideouts. John Lynch said post-draft a trade should not be ruled out. The 49ers are believed to have asked for a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk; nothing beyond a second-rounder came back in an offer. It is possible the team is now pivoting to a Samuel trade push, which comes two years after rumblings of a deal impacted the 49ers’ 2022 draft. The 49ers hung onto Samuel then, despite two notable offers (from the Jets and Lions), and extended him. As Aiyuk has proven worthy of a big-ticket extension, the team has a decision to make.

As the 49ers — with a Brock Purdy extension on the horizon — contemplate how to handle their increasingly complex WR situation, the Bills need impact players. In an AFC arms race that has seen the Chiefs separate over the past two years — despite Buffalo’s regular-season success at Arrowhead Stadium — the Bills have watched the Chiefs add Marquise Brown and first-rounder Xavier Worthy to their wideout group. The Bills dealt Diggs to the Texans. With Davis’ second contract coming from the Jags, the Bills are down to the likes of Khalil Shakir and UFA pickup Curtis Samuel. Samuel has proven to be in a much higher class.

Still, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers — given where their contention arc resides — bail on the Samuel-Aiyuk pairing a year before they have to. The team would have the option of franchise-tagging Aiyuk in 2025, though Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey will be in contract years by then. Rather than unloading Aiyuk now or contemplating a tag-and-trade transaction in an effort to keep the band together for one more season, the 49ers — who drafted Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall at No. 31 — are clearly exploring compensation options for a WR now.

The Bills hold the No. 33 overall pick, while the Patriots sit at No. 34. Buffalo also has its own second-rounder (No. 60). A second-rounder emerged as the prize in the Diggs trade; Samuel is more than two years younger. While Samuel earned All-Pro acclaim in 2021, he has one 1,000-yard season on his resume. The electric run-after-catch performer missed nine games in 2020, four in 2022 and two due to injury (leaving two more contests early) last year. Will the 49ers end up making a preemptive strike tonight?

Patriots, 49ers Discussed Deebo Samuel

April 26th, 2024 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers may have gone deeper in trade talks involving Brandon Aiyuk, but Deebo Samuel‘s name emerged as available Thursday night as well. Potentially aiming to split up their long-running wide receiver tandem as costs on their offense escalate, the 49ers took calls on their starters.

While the Jaguars are a team known to have asked about Aiyuk, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports the Patriots engaged in discussions with the 49ers about Samuel. New England carries a WR need going into Day 2 of the draft, having missed out on Calvin Ridley in free agency.

Pats-49ers Samuel talks can be classified as preliminary, Anderson notes, and it is unclear what the team sought for the All-Pro weapon. The 49ers wanted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk, who is two years younger than his teammate. Aiyuk also profiles as a player an acquiring team would extend; Samuel is tied to a $23.85MM-per-year deal that suddenly looks team-friendlier based on the contracts given to Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown this week. Samuel’s 2022 extension runs through 2025.

A mid-April report indicated the 49ers were rebuffing Aiyuk trade inquiries, and an anonymous GM said if Samuel would be the player to instead depart, the defending NFC champs probably would have done so by now. Samuel, 28, is tied to base salaries of $20.9MM and $16.7MM through the ’25 season.

Aiyuk led the 49ers in receiving by a wide margin last season, but the team’s fortunes changed based on Samuel’s availability. The team went 0-3 in games of consequence (not counting Week 18) Samuel did not finish during the regular season and clawed its way to a comeback win over the Packers after Samuel left the divisional-round matchup with a shoulder malady. Aiyuk also has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons to Samuel’s one, though the latter has proven valuable in the run game as well.

The 2019 second-round pick has shown himself to be one of this era’s best run-after-catch players, though it would be interesting to see if the 49ers dangled him in deals — rather than the 26-year-old Aiyuk, who has been a more durable player as a pro — moving forward. San Francisco’s equation stands to change next year, with a Brock Purdy extension on the radar. This season may mark the end of the line for the Samuel-Aiyuk tandem, which has been in place since the latter came to the Bay Area as a 2020 first-rounder. The 49ers have since used another first-round pick on a wideout — ex-Aiyuk college teammate Ricky Pearsall.

The Patriots re-signed ex-49er Kendrick Bourne, despite his 2023 ACL tear, this offseason and added ex-Vikings slot K.J. Osborn. The team still appears to have a glaring need for a high-end wideout to pair with Drake Maye. The team’s JuJu Smith-Schuster deal did not pan out, and it submitted an offer Robert Kraft viewed as competitive with the Titans’ for Ridley, who signed a four-year, $96MM deal. De facto GM Eliot Wolf, however, said Tennessee’s proposal indeed outflanked New England’s. The Pats will go into tonight’s second round with clear needs at receiver and left tackle around their new prized QB investment.

49ers Sought Mid-First-Round Pick For WR Brandon Aiyuk

April 26th, 2024 at 9:27am CST by Sam Robinson

The first round’s penultimate pick added more intrigue to the trade drama between the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk. The defending NFC champions selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at No. 31, bringing in a rookie-contract receiver — albeit one that did not receive much buzz as a Round 1 option — hours after a report surfaced indicating the team held talks involving Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.

No trade materialized, and the 49ers’ ask calls into question how viable a move will be after Round 1’s conclusion. The 49ers targeted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. Aiyuk has not requested a trade, but extension talks between he and the 49ers have not progressed, which remind of the team’s drama with Samuel two years ago.

Aiyuk is seeking a deal worth at least $25MM per year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch; following the $30MM-plus agreements for A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown, it would not surprise if his price has climbed this week.

The best tradeoffer to emerge included a second-round pick, Barrows adds. A 2022 Jets offer for Samuel included the No. 10 overall pick, though that was not a straight-up offer — as it included pick swaps — but Aiyuk remains a 49er after Thursday night brought another chapter to this saga. Aiyuk even congratulated GM John Lynch (via text) on choosing Pearsall, whom he played with at Arizona State back in 2019.

“You never close the door on a trade,” Lynch said, via Branch. “You always listen. And we have. But we like our group as it stands.”

The Jaguars were among the teams to inquire about Aiyuk, Barrows adds. Jacksonville ended up with LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. after trading down (via Minnesota), taking one suitor off the board. The Steelers, who chose an O-lineman in Round 1, also inquired about Aiyuk before the draft. Another team that held a mid-first-round pick discussed swapping choices in an Aiyuk deal, per Barrows, but no offer emerged. It should be difficult for the 49ers to pull off a deal involving Day 2 picks, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner offers, though it perhaps should not be deemed impossible.

It is possible Pearsall profiles as a player who will eventually — perhaps as soon as 2025 — replace either Aiyuk or Samuel. The 49ers have Aiyuk tied to a fifth-year option worth $14.12MM. Lynch said before the draft he would not anticipate an Aiyuk trade, and while the eighth-year GM has spoken of the financial difficulties in play here, the team could opt to keep Aiyuk on the option and reassess this situation in 2025 — perhaps via a tag-and-trade scenario.

Pearsall joins Aiyuk, Samuel and Jauan Jennings as San Francisco’s top WR. The Arizona State and Florida product’s rookie deal will run through 2028, via the fifth-year option. With Brock Purdy extension-eligible in 2025, the 49ers may need to make an Aiyuk-or-Samuel choice, as the contracts of George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey expire in 2026.

Aiyuk, 26, still profiles as a player the 49ers will need if they want to navigate that elusive Super Bowl hurdle; it will be interesting to see if more trade talks emerge on Day 2 or following the draft, as a post-draft extension — along the lines of how the Samuel saga ended in 2022 — may not be in the cards based on the Pearsall pick.

49ers Select WR Ricky Pearsall At No. 31

April 25th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Ben Levine

With Brandon Aiyuk trade speculation swirling, the 49ers have certainly raised some eyebrows with their selection at No. 31. With the second-to-last pick of the first round, the 49ers haves selected wide receiver Florida WR Ricky Pearsall.

[RELATED: 49ers Discussing First-Round Trade Involving Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel]

Following a breakout campaign at Arizona State in 2021, Pearsall transferred to Florida in 2022. After putting up similar numbers during his first season with the Gators, the wideout took a major step forward in 2023. Pearsall finished this past season with 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns, putting him firmly on the NFL map.

Pearsall was one of the more rapid risers in recent weeks. The Florida product saw his stock rise from probable Day 2 pick to surefire Day 2 pick to late first-round selection. With five WRs already being selected this evening, the 49ers didn’t want to press their luck and ended up opting for the wide receiver a bit higher than projections suggested.

With Aiyuk seeking a lucrative extension, the 49ers have continually stated that they wanted to retain the former first-round pick. However, reports from yesterday suggested that the front office was discussing the wide receiver (along with teammate Deebo Samuel) in trades.

While Aiyuk remains on San Francisco’s roster at the moment, the Pearsall pick will only add fuel to the fire. With the first round having passed, a window for the 49ers to unload Aiyuk or Samuel closed. It will be interesting to see if the team would accept Day 2 compensation for one of its standout wide receivers. With the Bengals not expected to trade Tee Higgins — his request notwithstanding — attention could be focused on Aiyuk. Then again, the 49ers have relied on their WR duo to help Brock Purdy. This Pearsall move could potentially be a bridge to the Samuel-Aiyuk duo separating in 2025.

The 49ers could extend Aiyuk and push their cap predicament to 2025, so Pearsall might not immediately step into a major role. Still, the rookie should be the clear-cut WR3 if both Deebo and Aiyuk stick around, with Jauan Jennings and Ronnie Bell representing the team’s other options at the position.

49ers Discussing First-Round Trade Involving WRs Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel

April 25th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of speculation has surrounded Brandon Aiyuk recently, and that continues to be the case as the draft approaches. Fellow 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel could also find himself on the trade block.

San Francisco has discussed a move up the board in the first round – perhaps as high as the top 10 in the order – in a trade which would include either Aiyuk or Samuel, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. Despite assurances from general manager John Lynch that the former is expected to stay in place, he will thus remain worth watching closely in the coming hours.

San Francisco is not believed to be close on extension talks with Aiyuk, who has publicly displayed his frustration with the lack of a long-term deal. Citing the similarities of his case to that of Samuel not that long ago, Lynch has offered public confidence the former first-rounder will be retained through the draft. Depending on the market which emerges, though, that could stand to change.

Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle confirms teams have shown interest in Samuel in addition to Aiyuk. The former is on the books for two more years, while the latter is set to play on his $14.12MM fifth-year option in 2024. Keeping Aiyuk in the fold on a major raise would be difficult given the implications of extending another skill-position player before quarterback Brock Purdy becomes eligible for a lucrative new deal of his own.

The 49ers currently own pick No. 31, and as such they could stand to benefit from a notable move up the board. Jumping into the top 10 would incur a major cost, but including Aiyuk or Samuel in any trade would of course create a notable vacancy in the team’s offense. It will be interesting to see how many teams set to pick early or in the middle of the Day 1 order are interested in adding an expensive veteran at the WR position.

Believed to be in the market for a receiver addition, the Steelers have been named as one of the teams which have shown interest in Aiyuk. The 26-year-old had a career year in 2023 (75,1,342-7 statline) and he is poised to remain a focal point on San Francisco’s offense if he remains in place. Whether or not that will be the case is once again a burning question as the draft draws near.

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