We’re talking Kyle Shanahan here, and he just had to trade his favorite offensive weapon, Deebo Samuel, to the Washington Commanders because the 49ers owners have placed tighter financial constraints on the front office than they have in the past.
The 49ers have to draft a player in the trenches with their first-round pick this year, right?
Not so fast.
Of course, they SHOULD draft an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman, but that doesn’t mean they will.
We’re talking Kyle Shanahan here, and he just had to trade his favorite offensive weapon, Deebo Samuel, to the Washington Commanders because the 49ers owners have placed tighter financial constraints on the front office than they have in the past few years according to general manager John Lynch.
When asked if the 49ers also would trade Brandon Aiyuk, Lynch didn’t say no. Which means could lose both of their Week 1 starting wide receivers from last season.
If we know anything about Shanahan, it’s that he loves wide receivers. That’s his former position and favorite position. He’s the one who wanted to spend a ton of money on both Samuel and Aiyuk at the same time. He won’t settle for having a modest wide receiver room.
That’s why Shanahan drafted Ricky Pearsall last year. He knew that Deebo Samuel probably was going into his final season on the team and would need to be replaced. And Pearsall is Samuel’s replacement — they’re both Z receivers who also can play in the slot.
Aiyuk is a true X receiver. He lines up on the line of scrimmage and faces press coverage which is extremely difficult to beat. Last season when Aiyuk went down with a knee injury, Jennings replaced him as the X, but he’s not fast enough to play that position. He’s a slot guy.
So if the 49ers trade Aiyuk for financial reasons this offseason, which seems likely, Shanahan most likely will want to acquire a true X receiver to replace him. They could sign a veteran such as Amari Cooper, or they could draft one.
Maybe they shouldn’t draft one. But if Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona is available when the 49ers pick in Round 1, I think Shanahan will take him.
I’m calling it now.