The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for a wide receiver. That could be drafting a rookie at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft. They could also make a big trade after freeing up extra cap space by reportedly restructuring OLB Alex Highsmith’s contract on Wednesday. Could that be the move that allows the Steelers to genuinely make a move for San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk?
Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson thinks that’s the move for the Steelers. He published a list of trades using first-round picks that “just make sense” on Thursday, and he has the Steelers flipping the 20th overall pick for Aiyuk as one of the five.
“There is no better use of a first-round pick this year than one to pry Brandon Aiyuk loose from the 49ers,” Monson wrote. “The San Francisco front office likely isn’t lying when saying it would like to keep Aiyuk, but it’s one thing to make that declaration in abstract terms and another entirely to actively turn down the 20th overall selection. Pittsburgh could pair Aiyuk with George Pickens in a new-look offense, and they have the resources needed to sign Aiyuk to the contract he covets. If the Steelers are really in the market for a significant receiver investment, this is the best deal they could make.”
For a quick refresher, Aiyuk has played in 62 career games through his first four seasons in the league. He’s caught 269 passes for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 2023 alone, he set career highs in yards per reception with 17.9, yards with 1,342, and longest reception at 76 yards.
Trading for Aiyuk versus drafting a rookie receiver makes a lot of sense for on-the-field reasons. Aiyuk doesn’t need to get acclimated to the NFL with four years of excellent production. He just needs to get familiar with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense and be ready to go.
However, the cost associated with Aiyuk would be much higher than a rookie receiver. Not only would the Steelers be sending the 20th overall pick to the 49ers for him, they would need to sign Aiyuk to a brand-new deal that is not going to be cheap.
Even if the 49ers are willing to make the trade, the Steelers need to weigh the cost of making that trade both in terms of the finances and how it affects their draft. The Steelers have plenty of needs on the offensive line and at cornerback as well. I did take a look at a potential draft scenario if the Steelers use the 20th pick on a receiver either by drafting a rookie or trading it away. So if that trade occurs, the Steelers still have a way of addressing their needs.
And getting Aiyuk would give either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields another fantastic pass catcher. While Smith loves to run the ball, he also loves to take deep shots off play-action, and Aiyuk actually had an average depth of target of 13.8 yards in 2023. He’s another versatile deep threat who could help the Steelers take advantage of run-focused defenses.
