49ers training camp: 5 players who show off the most in 2021

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Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 2: 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk

Consider this: Then-rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk didn’t have the luxury of rookie minicamps or OTAs last season, and he suffered a hamstring injury in the middle of 2020 training camp.

Not a great omen for the former first-round draft pick, but that didn’t stop Aiyuk from netting 60 receptions for 748 yards over just 12 games last year.

And that was with three different quarterbacks trying to get him the ball, too.

Now fully immersed in the 49ers offense and with a regular workload of offseason practices, Aiyuk should be expected to take that massive leap from year one to year two. He already could be considered the 49ers’ No. 1 wide receiver and will be aided by the fact the bulk of the Niners’ offensive starting cast should be fully healthy by the time camp practices kick off.

While Aiyuk’s efforts during the regular season will need to be of the high-impact variety, don’t be shocked at all if the second-year pro winds up being a training camp star this season, regularly appearing in practice reports and on those team-generated highlight reels.

Any success there should translate well into the regular season.