These 3 wide receivers benefit most if 49ers ultimately trade Brandon Aiyuk

The 49ers may trade Brandon Aiyuk. Or they may not. If they do, though, these three wide receivers stand to benefit the most.

The San Francisco 49ers should be kicking themselves for not extending star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk earlier this offseason before the positional market exploded.

And, if they truly intended to trade the disgruntled pass catcher, they should have done so before or during the NFL Draft last April when they could have used return assets to land players who could help the Niners win a Super Bowl this season.

But, as things have panned out, there are strong indications Aiyuk could be moved just before the regular season begins in September, which would leave head coach Kyle Shanahan's depth chart scrambling for options.

While there is no single player on the current offseason roster who could immediately fill the void left by Aiyuk after a would-be trade, there are some who'd stand to immediately benefit from his departure.

Particularly these three.

No. 1: Ricky Pearsall

There have been plenty of glowing reviews about Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco's top selection in this year's draft who could be pegged as Aiyuk's heir apparent.

While the former Florida Gator has dealt with injuries during training camp, they're not believed to be serious, and his stock value continues to point upward despite the challenges of trying to master Shanahan's intricate offense.

Pearsall would likely make a minimal impact in 2024 if Aiyuk was on the roster, sitting behind him, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings on the depth chart.

However, if Aiyuk is shown the door, Pearsall would likely be tasked with stepping in as the de facto No. 2 option behind Samuel, complemented by Jennings' third-down prowess.

No. 2: Chris Conley

Pearsall is guaranteed a roster spot, but veteran wideout Chris Conley is certainly on the fringes.

Yet the 49ers appreciate the 31-year-old veteran's presence, route-running abilities and speed. He might not be as polished a separator as Aiyuk, but Conley is nevertheless effective enough to stretch the field, which is what Aiyuk did so well when the Niners offense was functioning at its peak.

So far during camp, it appears as if Conley has been getting plenty of first-team reps in Aiyuk's hold-in absence.

Should Aiyuk be dealt, the likelihood of Conley making the roster increases dramatically.

No. 3: Ronnie Bell

Ronnie Bell, the second-year pro who flashed a handful of promising moments his rookie season but struggled on special teams, is another one of those players on the roster bubble who could simply be a victim of the numbers game.

Sure, Bell isn't going to see a massive uptick in targets simply because Aiyuk gets dealt, and he'd likely be relegated to the No. 5 or 6 spot, leaving his opportunities to be extremely limited.

However, hanging onto a roster spot would be a major benefit to a player San Francisco would like to develop but acknowledges the time necessary to turn him into a more reliable option.

If Aiyuk remains, Bell probably winds up being an odd man out.

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