49ers roster: Predicting 6 players who make the Pro Bowl in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk
It would have made sense to go with newly acquired veteran free-agent center Alex Mack here, as he’s a six-time Pro Bowler and two of those came under then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan when both were with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015 and 2016.
But the more forward-thinking prediction centers on second-year wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who threatened a franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie with 748 in 2020 over just 12 games played.
The record, 927 set by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice back in 1985, possibly could have been broken if Aiyuk stayed healthy and available for all 16 games, as the splits suggest it would have been the case.
Either way, Aiyuk is cementing himself as a star receiver.
What puts Aiyuk in line for a breakout-kind of season in 2021 is the fact he should benefit from a fully healthy crop of other pass-catching targets like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, who’ll help take the pressure of Aiyuk and give him more one-on-one matchups.
Some consistent quarterbacking, too, should help. Remember, Aiyuk was attempting to catch passes from three different starting QBs last year: Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard.
If those two factors work in Aiyuk’s favor, plus he continues his own upward trajectory, it’s possible Aiyuk emerges as one of those regular Pro Bowl threats on a year-to-year basis.