Brandon Aiyuk has chance to ascend to superstar status in primetime duel with CeeDee Lamb
Brandon Aiyuk has, until recently, flown somewhat under the radar among members of a highly regarded 2020 wide receiver draft class. The 49ers wideout headed into the 2023 season on the back of his first 1,000-yard campaign but still regarded as the third best receiver from the 2020 draft behind Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. […]
Brandon Aiyuk has, until recently, flown somewhat under the radar among members of a highly regarded 2020 wide receiver draft class.
The 49ers wideout headed into the 2023 season on the back of his first 1,000-yard campaign but still regarded as the third best receiver from the 2020 draft behind Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb.
Aiyuk will get the chance to outperform Jefferson when the 49ers face the Vikings in Week 7, but this week’s primetime clash with the Cowboys provides an opportunity for him to demonstrate that he is at least on the same level as Lamb in a game on the national stage.
And Aiyuk’s performances to start 2023 suggest he will take that chance.
Aiyuk's red hot start
Though an injury limited his impact in Week 2 and kept him out of Week 3, Aiyuk has been nothing short of sensational in the two games in which he was fully healthy.
Aiyuk opened the season with 129 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers and, on his return from injury last week, exploded for 148 yards on six catches in the 35-16 victory over the Cardinals.
As a result of those two displays, as well as his 43 yards while banged up against the Rams, Aiyuk went into Week 5 second only to Tyreek Hill in yards per route run among receivers with at least 20 targets, per Pro Football Focus.
Aiyuk has averaged 4.57 yards per route run, but the most impressive stat surrounding the former 25th overall pick concerns his success rate in moving the sticks on his receptions.
Targeted 20 times this season, Aiyuk has made 17 catches, all of which have gone for either a first down or a touchdown.
That remarkable conversion rate is the product of a remarkably well-rounded skill set that was under-appreciated by many even as Aiyuk set about putting together a career year in 2022.
A diverse and deadly skill set
Speaking ahead of the Cardinals game last week, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan summed up Aiyuk's tremendous range of talents.
"Aiyuk can run all the routes that any receiver can," said Shanahan. "He can play outside, he can play inside, he can play like a fast, quick guy and he can play like a long, big guy. Aiyuk is a very versatile player."
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of Aiyuk's game that has come to the fore in 2023 is the damage he can do as a deep receiver. Six of his 17 catches have gone for at least 20 yards, only one fewer than Lamb who has played in all four weeks.
Four of those came in the 49ers' near-faultless offensive performance against the Cardinals. One such completion came as a result of excellent ball tracking from Aiyuk on a dangerous throw from Brock Purdy that could have been intercepted. While there was a degree of fortunate about that connection, the rest owed a great deal to Aiyuk's skills as a downfield route runner.
After that somewhat fortuitous 42-yard grab from Purdy in the second quarter, Aiyuk then reeled in catches of 25 and 34 yards on play-action shots outside the numbers from his quarterback.
The first saw Aiyuk maxmize his separation by selling a post route to the deep safety with his feet and a headfake before smoothly breaking outside and into a huge void in Arizona's zone coverage.
Aiyuk's fluidity in changing from vertical to horizontal was evident again on the 34-yard connection, on which he got the deep safety anticipating a vertical route before effortlessly working over the middle of the field without breaking stride and hauling in a pinpoint throw from Purdy.
Later in the fourth quarter, Aiyuk brought into a 20-yard back shoulder throw from Purdy, using his downfield burst to his advantage and finding the ball way before the defender even had the chance. Aiyuk made an excellent adjustment as he produced a superb catch in what was the final flourish of a dominant display.
Aiyuk has emerged as the most reliable and most explosive pass catcher on the 49ers' star-studded roster. He is a wideout who wins with his route-running, does damage at all three levels and helps the run game significantly with his outstanding blocking.
On pace for 1,700 yards receiving, Aiyuk will certainly receive the kind of recognition his 2022 performances undoubtedly merited if he sustains his early-season tear.
However, such acclaim may come a lot earlier if Aiyuk can make a wider audience more familiar with a superbly well-rounded skill set by excelling against a stout Cowboys defense and outperforming Lamb on the national stage.
How to watch and stream San Francisco 49ers-Dallas Cowboys on Sunday
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