49ers 2020 NFL Draft: 3 reasons Brandon Aiyuk is a schematic fit
No. 3: Versatility
In Kyle Shanahan’s continuing quest to create “positionless football,” or something that approximates it, versatility in his receiving core is paramount. Versatility makes Shanahan’s offensive unpredictable, both in terms of formation and execution, allowing him to create mismatches for his playmakers and forcing the defense to make mistakes.
To maximize this unpredictability, Shanahan needs players that are able to play multiple, or all, of the receiver positions: X, Z, Slot, etc. He also needs receivers who are capable performing a variety of roles within each receiver position, including running a complex route tree, rushing the ball and blocking.
In Brandon Aiyuk, Shanahan has another versatile chess piece to move around the board.
In reviewing Aiyuk’s tape, you see a player who was highly productive last year at Arizona State both on the inside and outside, as an X, Z and slot receiver.
On the outside, Aiyuk was effective on quick slants, whip routes and bubble screens, precisely the types of routes Shanahan would utilize. Although Aiyuk did not see much press-man coverage in the PAC-12, he nevertheless displayed good releases on the outside on certain plays.
Aiyuk does not quite possess the physicality of Deebo Samuel, so Aiyuk may play more Z and slot receiver, but he has shown that he is more than capable of handling both the X and Z positions.
On the inside, Aiyuk was able to use his speed and agility to beat underneath coverage and find holes in the zones. Aiyuk was even a willing, capable blocker at ASU.
The only thing Aiyuk wasn’t asked to do as ASU was carry the ball as a rusher. He only had one rushing attempt in his two years as a Sun Devil, though Aiyuk has the open-field abilities to take on some of Samuel’s jet sweeps with the 49ers.
The bottom line is Aiyuk was asked to fill a variety of roles at ASU and he filled them admirably. In addition to leading the team in receptions and receiving yards by a wide margin, Aiyuk was also the team’s leading returner, and one of college football’s best dual returners, averaging 31.9 yards on kick returns and 16.1 yards on punt returns. ASU’s goal was to get the ball into Aiyuk’s hands as much as possible, regardless of the formation or position, and that bodes well for Shanahan’s “positionless” scheme.