The San Francisco 49ers still have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on their roster after the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.
In fact, general manager John Lynch surprised the masses by selecting another wide receiver and offensive weapon in that of Ricky Pearsall with the 31st pick in the first round.
Was wide receiver a need with both Samuel and Aiyuk still on the roster? It’s questionable.
What we do know is that San Francisco had been fielding calls for Aiyuk leading up to the draft. The former first-round pick and a teammate of Pearsall’s at Arizona State is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He wants to be among the highest-paid wide receivers in the league.
Interestingly, Aiyuk texted Lynch and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to throw his support behind the Pearsall. This came at about the same time that Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle came out with an eye-opening report. Apparently, the 49ers are now more likely to trade Samuel than Aiyuk. At least, that’s the feeling other teams are getting heading into Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
Related: San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft tracker
- Deebo Samuel stats (2023): 60 receptions, 892 yards, 225 rushing yards, 12 TD
For the 49ers, it makes sense an extent. An argument can be made that Samuel’s status as a “weapon” in San Francisco’s offense is not as valuable with Christian McCaffrey doing his thing as a dual-threat runing back. Add in the selection of Pearsall Thursday night, and this is magnified further.
All the while, Aiyuk is your more traditional receiver. Why not pay him and get some assets for Samuel?
The larger question here is Samuel’s value. The 28-year-old receiver dominated to the tune of 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns en route to earning All-Pro honors back in 2021. He’s averaging less than 1,000 total yards over the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Samuel still has two more years remaining on the three-year, $71.55 million contract extension he signed with San Francisco ahead of the 2022 season. What we do know is that teams are going to be interested in him as the draft continues.
Related: Day 2 NFL mock draft
Ideal Deebo Samuel trade scenarios from the San Francisco 49ers
- Buffalo Bills: They traded down twice in the first round of the draft. It was somewhat surprising given that Buffalo is in the market for a receiver after the trade of Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans earlier in the offseason. Would general manager Brandon Beane be willing to offer up the first pick on Friday (33rd overall) and a mid-round selection for Samuel? Getting Josh Allen someone of his ilk would be a boon.
- Washington Commanders: Fresh off selecting a potential franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels at No. 2, the Commanders could very well make sense as a trade partner. First off, new Washington general manager Adam Peters was with San Francisco when it selected Samuel. There is a relationship between him and Lynch. That matters in the NFL. Secondly, getting another “weapon” to go with a more traditional receiver in Terry McLaurin would be an ideal fit. The Commanders offer up pick No. 36 and get another playmaker.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh stayed true to his MO in his first draft with the Chargers. Linked to wide receivers throughout the pre-draft process, Los Angeles nabbed offensive tackle Joe Alt with the fifth pick. It leaves a gaping hole at wide receiver after the Chargers moved off Keenan Allen and Mike Williams earlier in the offseason. Pick No. 37 for Samuel would be a coup for Los Angeles. Pull the trigger, Jim.
Related: Los Angeles Chargers NFL Draft tracker
- New York Giants: One of the best picks of the first round was New York adding stud receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6. It did not trade up for a quarterback or trade down to acquire more assets. Rather, the Giants finally got that top receiving threat for Daniel Jones. It makes all the sense in the world to offer up the 47th overall pick and a a fourth rounder (107th) to San Francisco for Samuel. Why the heck not?