Brandon Aiyuk

Aiyuk and Brock Purdy formed perhaps the most efficient QB/WR duo in the league last season, with 105 passes producing 75 catches (71.4 percent) for 1,342 yards (17.9 YPR, 12.8 YPT) and seven touchdowns. The 2020 first-round pick topped his previous career high for catch rate by three percentage points despite having a sky-high 13.8 aDOT after three straight seasons in the 9.4-9.9 range. That catch rate will be nearly impossible to replicate without the aDOT (and YPR) declining, but Aiyuk still projects as one of the most efficient receivers in the league, catching passes from Purdy in a Kyle Shanahan offense that boasts three other excellent playmakers (Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle). It was Aiyuk who led the group in targets last year, albeit by a small margin with each of the four drawing at least 83 looks. He's now scheduled to play out his age-26 season under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, presumably hoping to sign an extension this spring/summer (and perhaps considering a holdout if nothing gets done). While no speed demon -- he ran a 4.50 40 at 6-0. 205 pounds in 2020 -- Aiyuk is unusually fluid/quick for someone so stoutly built and tracks balls downfield as naturally as any receiver in the league. He might be a 140-target guy in another offense, but it's hard to imagine him seeing that kind of volume for the Niners unless their other key playmakers have a brutal year for injuries. Of course, he's already shown he doesn't need huge volume to put up strong numbers in such a favorable situation efficiency-wise. Read Past Outlooks