In the eyes of many, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is an afterthought in the passing game behind the likes of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.

That perception is not reality, however, and the 2020 first-round pick should receive a lot more respect after an excellent 2023 season.

Aiyuk finished the regular season with 1,342 receiving yards, a career-high for the former Arizona State star, and seven touchdowns.

Those numbers were enough to see Aiyuk, named a second-team All-Pro last week, selected as a breakout player of the year by Pro Football Focus.

There is a case to be made that Aiyuk's breakout came last year, when he topped 1,000 yards for the first time and scored eight receiving touchdowns.

But the case for this being the true breakout year for Aiyuk is an easy one to make, with a tremendously efficient season helping one of the league's best route-runners make the leap to stardom.

Making that case, Jim Wyman of PFF wrote: 

Brandon Aiyuk has been a solid receiver ever since the 49ers made him the 25th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, as his receiving yardage has improved every year and his receiving grade always hovers around 80.0. 

He took his game to new heights in 2023, though, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven scores en route to a 92.3 receiving grade that trailed only Tyreek Hill for the top mark in the NFL. Aiyuk was also one of the most explosive receivers in the league, as his 17.9 yards per reception trailed only Tennessee’s Chris Moore (who led the league at 19.3 — but on only 22 catches) and Pittsburgh’s George Pickens (18.1 on 63 grabs).

Aiyuk also ended the year third in yards per route run (3.01) among wide receivers, with his touches proving devastatingly effective for the San Francisco passing game.

Of Aiyuk's 75 catches in the regular season, only seven did not result in a first down or a touchdown, 61 of them going for a first down on plays where he did not score.

Leading the league among receivers with at least 50 targets with a first down on 58.1 percent of his targets and 81.3 percent of his receptions, the numbers are reflective of the consistently outstanding tape for a receiver who has emerged as one of most complete in the game. 

The 2023 season was undoubtedly a breakout one for Aiyuk, and it's one he'll hope to cap with three more impressive postseason games that solidify his place among the game's elite and take the Lombardi Trophy to the Bay Area.

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