The hype and anticipation for Brandon Aiyuk’s NFL debut has grown steadily since the 49ers fielded him in April with the No. 25 overall pick.
The Arizona State wide receiver is the perfect blend of speed and inconvenience to flourish in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. With Deebo Samuel possibly missing the start of the season with a Jones fracture in his foot, and Jalen Hurd out for the season with a torn ACL, much will be placed on Aiyuk’s shoulders to stabilize the receiving squad early.
Although it is still early in training camp, Aiyuk’s talent is already evident for George Kittle.
“The thing I noticed is that he has incredible hands and that guy is really fast,” Kittle told 95.7 The Game’s “You, Lo and Dibs.” “He does not even look like he’s running, he’s just slipping on the ground. It’s a little crazy. I like to see how he can get involved with those and he can perform. That’s really fun to to see, and, of course, we all want to do something, but he always comes in and grabs the next ball.
Honestly, I have not seen him fall a pass which is also very sick. He’s had a great camp so far, and I know that the longer we’re here and together, the better he’s going to get. “
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Kittle is not the only one who is already under the impression of Aiyuk. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw on Aiyuk’s route-running practice on Tuesday.
“There are flashes you can see,” Garoppolo said. “He has a good sense of feeling the zones and when it’s man-to-man, he knows when to break routes and just do what he has to do to open up.
‘It’s a really natural instinct, just running routes for him. It’s really cool to throw routes to such a man. He sees the field very similar to a quarterback and it makes my job very easy. ”
Without Samuel and Hurd, Kendrick Bourne is at the top of the 49ers’ depth map at receiver, with Aiyuk, Trent Taylor and Jauan Jennings looking to carry the charge until Samuel returns.
[RELATED: Flair likens Kittle to Brady on list of all-time draft steals]Aiyuk would have to play an instrumental role in the 49ers returning to the Super Bowl.
Shanahan has built an offense that is predicate to get dynamic playmakers the ball into space and turn up their yard after catching. Kittle and Samuel have flourished in the system, and Aiyuk, who was one of the best college receivers at forcing missed tackles, would have to start with the 49ers success.
Aiyuk’s speed will also be a game changer for the 49ers. Last season, only three NFL players reached a higher in-game speed than the 21.97 mph that Aiyuk clocked at Arizona State. That ability to take the top of the defense would offend the 49ers making it more deadly once it is at full power.
Rookie receivers often struggle initially with their transition to the NFL, but the 49ers need Aiyuk to run the ground and be a threat early in the season.
From what Kittle has seen so far, there is no reason to think this will not be the case.
