Reports surfaced Thursday afternoon the San Francisco 49ers were expected to trade either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel during the 2024 NFL Draft if they took a wide record in the first round. The 49ers selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick.
As previously discussed on GH by Robin Adams, the 49ers were trying to try into the top ten Thursday night by trading Samuel or Aiyuk:
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, San Francisco is attempting to trade up into the top 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Of course, doing this would come at a significant cost, especially since they have the second to last pick in the first round. However, they are using both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk as potential trade pieces:
Tom Curran of NBC Sports reported that the Patriots and 49ers were working on a potential trade deal for Aiyuk. There was speculation that the 49ers would trade Aiyuk if they took a wide receiver Thursday night. Aiyuk has been linked to the Patriots for weeks.
According to @tomecurran on @NBCSBoston – The #Patriots have been working on an Aiyuk trade. There's nothing solid on it yet, but when the #49ers get on the board at 31, if they take a WR, then we should spend our time Friday wondering if the Pats can execute the deal.
— Nick Cattles (@NickCRadio) April 25, 2024
Lance Zierlein with the NFL Network had Pearsall as a Day 2 pick. Zierlein wrote in his scouting report that Pearsall is a natural slot receiver:
Dependable slot target with good size and soft hands who will need to prove that he has the ability to free himself against NFL man coverage. Pearsall might get the stereotypical “crafty route runner” label, but it suits him. He appears to play with an idea of how to manipulate certain coverage looks and leverages.
He also plays with attention to detail and a consistent route tempo to create windows, but lacks ideal foot quickness to beat press and maintain separation. While the hands are reliable, he’s not physical enough to tilt contested catches in his favor and might have a ceiling of quality backup with punt-return value.
Here are highlights of Pearsall by Hyper Highlights:
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