Brandon Aiyuk | ASU WR | 6-0, 203, 4.45

Still far prefer Ruggs.

But if Aiyuk is Kyle's guy then I'd be super excited to have him.

Just like IF Ruggs is Kyle's guy then the trade down at 13 and a WR at 31 folks should be excited to have Ruggs.

I want whoever Kyle wants most.

And again, by not selecting WR at 13 we have to HOPE the next tier guy we want is there at 31. And if he's not we are ****ed. Huge risk and only way to avoid it is to use the trade down from 13 pick to 20-22 to draft whatever WR that is from the next tier. Cannot afford to wait until 31.

Originally posted by frankieuc68:

Riding shotgun on this bus! Less than a week and we're about to be disappointed 😂

Eh! Good news is there are quite a few WRs we all like. So ALMOST impossible to be completely disappointed

Jerry Jeudy is the cream of the crop when it comes to overall route-running in this class. That said, you can argue Aiyuk is the best deception artist in the 2020 crop.

Aiyuk consistently earns leverage against corners before revealing his true intentions. He gets them to open up their hips the wrong way and then in second, breaks the direction he's heading. The stop-and-stutter move he unleashes on go routes regularly fool his opponent into thinking a curl is coming. In the second they waste trying to jump that route, they've already lost.

This not only shows his intelligence as a route runner, but it also reveals plenty of potential as an NFL deep threat for this player. You can have all the speed you want but if you don't show some of those traits like Aiyuk does, you're not winning the vertical game in the pros.

I was low on Aiyuk early in the process as I tend to bias against guys that didn't produce anything at the college level until their Senior Year but the more I watch the more I'm convinced he's Kyle's target if they don't go WR at 13. Skill set wise he might be the most or atleast one of the 2 most complete receivers in this draft with plus athleticism, plus route running/separation, plus hands, and plus blocking. To me this draft is Lamb / Juedy as 1a/b and then Ruggs / Aiyuk who are pretty close IMO. I didn't include Jefferson as I don't see the plus athleticism or the type of filthy separation ability Kyle has coveted.

I hate to say it but I don't see Kyle gravitating to some of the other late 1st/2nd rd guys outside of maybe KJ Hamler (his new speedster) as too many of them seem like no / low separation guys with a jump ball style which Kyle has historically avoided like the plague his entire coaching career.

STRENGTHS: Explosive athlete…YAC monster, quickly accelerating through the catch, hitting top speed and eliminating pursuit angles…loose-jointed with the cutting skills to stick his foot in the ground and make defenders miss…tracks the deep ball well, running and settling underneath the football…defenders must respect his vertical speed, allowing him to poach free underneath yards…catches the ball cleanly at all three levels…long arms and pliable body movements, allowing him to adjust away from his momentum to snare throws…improved tempo on hesitation patterns, making defenders uncomfortable…return man experience, averaging 11.7 yards on punt returns (25/293/1) and 26.2 yards on kick returns (30/785/0) at ASU.

WEAKNESSES: Slender body type with ordinary height…lowers his pads into contact, but not a powerful runner and won't carry defenders…room to improve his
efficiency out of his breaks, tipping his path to defenders…tardy hands in his releases, giving press corners an easy target…occasionally late finding the football…needs to show better awareness for the first down marker…usually steady ball skills, but will occasionally get his hands turned the wrong way…not going to out-muscle defenders in tight coverage…underwhelming perimeter blocker…doesn't have a large sample size of college production…originally misdiagnosed with a hip injury (December 2019) that was actually an abdominal issue, sidelining him for the Senior Bowl.

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Arizona State, Aiyuk was the "X" receiver in former offensive coordinator Rob Likens' scheme, lining up both inside and outside the formation. He spent most of the 2018 season learning the offense and benefiting from the tutelage of N'Keal Harry, taking over as the Sun Devils' top passing target and return man in 2019. Aiyuk is a "runway" athlete — if given any type of runway, he has the explosive gears and top-end speed to be a big-play threat, stretching simple slants into impact plays (averaged 11.1 yards after the catch in 2019). While he has a remarkable wingspan, his average play strength and continued maturation as a route runner are two areas where he needs to improve. Overall, the definition of a playmaker is a player who turns small plays into big plays and that is exactly what Aiyuk can do with his dynamic athleticism, projecting similar to Emmanuel Sanders (his skill set, role and impact) at the NFL level.

GRADE: 1st-2nd Round

https://theathletic.com/1727831/2020/04/07/dane-brugler-nfl-draft-guide-2020-the-beast/

Sounds like the Eagles is loving them some Aiyuk. Signs are pointing to him going #21

Anything is better than what's left of Alshon Jeffrey and Desean Jackson.

😳

The guy would be a bigger and better DEEBO !!!!

31st to the 49ers !!!!

Originally posted by 9moon:

The guy would be a bigger and better DEEBO !!!!

31st to the 49ers !!!!

Deebo was 10 lbs heavier while being one inch shorter coming out...

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:

Deebo was 10 lbs heavier while being one inch shorter coming out...

Originally posted by 9moon:
The guy would be a bigger and better DEEBO !!!!

31st to the 49ers !!!!