The biggest trade rumor surrounding the San Francisco 49ers this offseason has been about wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Despite his great 2023 campaign, he seeks a new deal and is seemingly not thrilled with the Niners right now.
If he is traded, here are five potential replacements for him.
To be clear, the 49ers have stood firm and been public about the fact that they want Aiyuk back. They understand that what he brings to the team is unique, and he will not be easily replaced.
However, if things deteriorate to a point where Aiyuk does not want to play for the 49ers going forward, they could be forced to trade him. We saw the Bills trade Stefon Diggs, so anything is possible.
If the Niners do end up trading Aiyuk, there are several avenues they could pursue to try to replace him.
This article will focus on free agents and options available in the draft, but they could try internal options or potentially swing another trade.
Here are several free agents they could pursue.
1. Tyler Boyd
Former Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd is a free agent. He is one of the top remaining free agents on the market and is coming off a season in which he had 667 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
That is a bit of a down year compared to earlier seasons like 2018 and 2019 in which he had over 1,000 receiving yards. He is 29 years old, so he brings a veteran presence to the team. He would not completely replace Aiyuk, but Boyd has proven that he can be a solid NFL receiver. Signing him would slightly appease fans who would be upset to see Aiyuk go given the fact that he is a solid producer.
2. Odell Beckham Jr.
The 31 year old’s best years may be behind him, but Odell Beckham Jr. could still be a potential replacement for Brandon Aiyuk. He hauled in 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns last season with the Baltimore Ravens.
He does not have the same skills that he once did, but the 49ers could make a bet that he has one more good year left in the tank and give him a one-year deal that would be much more affordable than the contract they would have to give to Aiyuk.
The championship window is closing for the 49ers, so they could take a chance on this veteran if Aiyuk leaves via trade.
3. Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The 49ers could potentially steal a wideout from the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency by getting Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He is not a star wide receiver by any stretch, but he has played for both quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahoney and has plenty of experience in big games.
His numbers will not wow anyone. He had 315 receiving yards and one touchdown last season. However, the Niners could use him and Jauan Jennings to try to fill the hole left by Aiyuk if they are looking for a more cost-effective approach.
Now, let’s turn to two players the 49ers could target in the NFL Draft coming up soon.
4. Ladd McConkey
Ladd McConkey is a product out of Georgia. While he is only 6-foot-0 and weighs 186 pounds, he could make sense for San Francisco depending on where he falls in the draft.
In his last season at Georgia, he had nearly 500 receiving yards and two touchdown catches, but his season was shortened by injury.
Also, this could depend on what the Niners get for Brandon Aiyuk if they did trade him. If they traded him and got a second-round pick, then perhaps they could use that pick to select him if he falls below his late first-round projection.
5. Luke McCaffrey
Luke McCaffrey makes sense on the 49ers even if he wasn’t the brother of their star player. He is everything that head coach Kyle Shanahan wants out of his receivers: smart, hard on themselves, and a fast learner.
The younger McCaffrey only picked up the wide receiver position in the middle of college at Rice after he was a quarterback. He learned the position quickly, and it stands to reason that he has not yet reached his potential in the position.
All he has done is impress and turn heads either at the Senior Bowl or the NFL Combine, so you know that he is someone the 49ers are going to be interested in. He would not replace Aiyuk right away, but perhaps a few years down the road, he could prove to be a solid top wide receiver option for the team.
The Niners aren't likely to trade Aiyuk, but if they did, one of these names could serve as a viable replacement.