The Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors have really heated up in the last 48 hours. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/brandon-aiyuk-trade-rumors-three-mystery-teams-that-make-sense-as-suitors-for-49ers-disgruntled-star-wr/ The Pittsburgh Steelers are seen as favorites to land the talented wild receiver. This of course would be an incredible upgrade to the offense, but at what cost? Lots of names, and draft picks have been floated out there as possibilities. Let’s take a look at the most likely scenarios that would bring the Steelers the wide receiver they are seeking:
The Players:
We’ve heard the names that the San Francisco 49ers would want in return for trading away Brandon Aiyuk. While it’s possible they shot for the moon early on with names like George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, those names were never going to be entertained by Omar Khan. Some of the more realistic players who could be dealt include Calvin Austin, Dan Moore, and James Daniels. Alex Highsmith is also a name that has been floated out there, but he is very unlikely to be moved.
The problem with trying to gauge what players the 49ers would be interested in is the depth of their roster. San Francisco has one of the deepest rosters in the league heading into the 2024 season, Trent Williams, the 49ers all world left tackle, is in the middle of a holdout. He is about to turn 37, and has had his share of injuries. Omar Khan would drive Dan Moore to the airport if the 49ers asked for him in this deal. What if San Francisco is demanding Pittsburgh include Broderick Jones, or Troy Fautanu instead? The idea of trading away a recent first round tackle may seem crazy at first thought. But the argument of trading away an unknown commodity for a very much established star can not be dismissed.
The Steelers have the luxury of two good running backs. They could theoretically offer one of Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren in the deal. Problem there is that the 49ers have one of the best backs in the league Christian McCaffrey, and a pretty decent backup in Elijah Mitchell. A wide receiver going back in this deal seems like a good bet. As we mentioned earlier, Calvin Austin is a name that has been thrown out there quit a bit. Don’t sleep on the 49ers being more interested in Roman Wilson however.
The picks:
It’s pretty safe to assume the draft pick compensation has been a major hold up in any Brandon Aiyuk trade. It has been widely reported that the 49ers are holding out for a first round pick in any deal involving Aiyuk. That is something other teams have balked at as far as we can tell. The problem with giving up a first round pick for this player is that the team then has to sign Aiyuk to a massive contract as well. It’s like signing a major free agent, then forfeiting a number one pick.
At the end of the day, the quality of the draft pick the 49ers get will be commensurate with how good a player the 49ers receive. The better the player, the lesser the value of the pick will be. It seems a first round pick in any scenario is out of the question, at least in the Steelers case for sure.
Most likely scenario:
We all know how desperate this team is for another viable starting receiver.Steelers wide receiver room: The worst in the Mike Tomlin era They seem to have been on the hunt for one since the Diontae Johnson trade earlier this offseason. So what is our best guess on what a Brandon Aiyuk trade to the Steelers look like? Our best guess at this point looks like Dan Moore, and a second round pick might get this done. Another possibility could be James Daniels, a third round pick, and maybe a later round pick. It’s a long shot, but one of the two young tackles straight up can not be ruled out either. With all the rumors swirling we should get our answer by the end of the week.