Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport proposed a trade where the Pittsburgh Steelers add Brandon Aiyuk to pass catchers George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to fill the void at wide receiver the team created in the Diontae Johnson–Donte Jackson swap. But Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport named Pittsburgh one of six teams that should make an enticing trade offer to the San Francisco 49ers for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Davenport proposed the Steelers send their 2024 first and third-round selections to the 49ers for the 2023 second-team All-Pro wideout.
When selection No. 20 comes around, Davenport stated, “Aiyuk is a better and more proven option than anyone else.” He and George Pickens together would be a very strong team in that role.
Offering that 20th overall pick would be the 49ers’ finest offer to date, at least in this hypothetical exercise. If you include a late third (in exchange for a Day 3 pick), this is an offer Niners general manager John Lynch would need to seriously consider.
The only wide receiver signed to the Steelers’ 2024 roster who had more than 209 receiving yards in the previous season is George Pickens. But Aiyuk would take care of that problem and more.
Career highs of 1,342 receiving yards and 17.9 yards per reception were achieved by Aiyuk in 2023. In addition, he has 7 touchdowns and 75 catches.
But, acquiring Aiyuk would be expensive in terms of draft capital as well.Spotrac estimated AIyuk’s value at approximately $96.1 million for a four-year contract. The 26-year-old receiver would make an average yearly salary of more than $24 million under such a contract.
Why the Steelers Could Use WR Brandon Aiyuk
The Steelers ought to be interested in Aiyuk for quite obvious reasons.
Since trading for Johnson, the Steelers have added Van Jefferson and Quiz Watkins; nevertheless, in 2023, the two wide receivers combined for just 351 receiving yards.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus stated on April 2 that the Steelers lack a No. 3 wideout in addition to not having a starting receiver to complement Pickens despite having Jefferson and Watkins.
But the Steelers would have one of the best wide receivers available this offseason in Aiyuk. Pickens and Aiyuk would be a formidable team, as Davenport pointed out.
In 2023, Pigkins had the highest yards per catch in the NFL (18.1), while Aiyuk averaged 17.9 yards per reception.
The Drawbacks to Trading for AiyukAiyuk
The Steelers’ receiving room would go from being among the worst in the NFL to possibly one of the finest thanks to Aiyuk. But the price would be hig
The Steelers not only lack a center on the roster but also need a starting receiver. The squad also needs to make improvements at cornerback and offensive tackle.
The Steelers will find it much more difficult to select impact players at their other needs if they trade Aiyuk for their first and third-round picks. It would also be highly likely that Duke’s Graham Barton or Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson would not be chosen by general manager Omar Khan.Both of those chances are regarded by many experts as the greatest centers available in the 2024 class.
Khan might focus on Zach Frazier, the center for West Virginia. However, Frazier could not be available when the Steelers make their second-round selection at No. 51 overall.
It’s a little difficult to imagine the Steelers selling two first-round selections for Aiyuk given the dearth of viable starting center alternatives in the draft and the limited center market remaining in free agency.
Dave Holcomb is a sports writer for Heavy.com who specializes in covering the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers in MLB and the NFL. Holcomb, who is originally from Pittsburgh, has covered professional and collegiate sports for publications like Fansided, Rotowire, and Yardbarker.Additional information on Dave Holcomb
