Brandon Aiyuk has arrived, and it could make the 49ers even more dangerous (2024)

A smile broke out beneath Brandon Aiyuk’s piercing eyes and dangling locks. Sudden and bright. It was almost as if he hadn’t ever thought about it. As if he hadn’t stopped to consider it.

“Oh, that’s a good question,” Aiyuk said, fiddling with his beard as he grinned. “That’s a good question. A good question.”

The question: How does it feel to be here, at this level, in this zone? It’s been an uphill climb since he was selected at No. 25 in the 2020 NFL Draft. But this year, in this camp, the fourth-year receiver appears to have arrived. Following his first 1,000-yard season, Aiyuk looks ready for another level. His relentless drive has landed him in this current groove.

“It’s for sure a good feeling,” Aiyuk said. “Just the training. Training my body, working on my body, taking care of my body over the offseason. It feels good knowing that I put it in and now I can come do it. My brain and my body can match up. I get to the line, and I want to do this, my body is not held back. My mind knows what to do, my body can do it, and we’re all moving together.”

Aiyuk’s work ethic, professionalism and talent have merged into a sweet spot. Experience and wisdom give him the ability to throttle down more than ever. The harvest from all that work is here. Fatherhood, maturity, success — they’ve all collaborated to produce a tangible confidence. Peace, even.

The results pop on the field.

He looks like the best player in camp sometimes. And remember, he’s sharing an offense with Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Kyle Juszczyk — arguably the best players in the league at what they do.

Remember what Samuel said in June?

"You can’t cover that boy in a phone booth right now." — Deebo on Aiyuk 😂 pic.twitter.com/iLkAsKJWX8

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) June 6, 2023

Still looks true.

“Way better than I even thought he was,” said veteran cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who signed with the 49ers after five seasons in Atlanta. “And I knew that he was already good. But seeing him up close and personal, kind of every day from OTAs to now, I think that he’s become such a better receiver.”

Aiyuk has earned this. He’s gone from once in his coach’s doghouse for his practice habits to being a model veteran coming into his own.

It wasn’t always this way. Early in his career, Aiyuk would be at home stewing over things that went wrong. He was that kind of obsessed. Wanting it so badly that he could only see the struggle — whether pissed at coach Kyle Shanahan, or determined to shut up the defense, or just ready to take on the world. It got to a point, he said, where he’d resent talking football sometimes,

“I would literally be in the house, coming off a great practice,” Aiyuk said, recalling his rookie year, “getting myself mad like, ‘They got me f—ed up.’ I’ve gotta prove it every day. I literally felt like I’m gonna have to go out there and do this for so long and never gonna get my respect. But I’ve been the underdog, so I just take that mindset.”

But the beauty of this space he’s in is that arriving here actually allows for emotional efficiency. Balance has worked wonders for Aiyuk. He was formerly always on tilt. Always pushing. Even when he was off the field, on his own time, the visions of greatness, the questions and thoughts that buoy in the brain, wouldn’t turn off. Three years of pressing, of grinding, got him to a place where productivity is more a muscle memory. He can afford to throttle down, take stock of his journey, feel a sense of security about his ability and effectiveness.

No, no, no. Don’t confuse peace with complacency. Don’t conflate feeling good with feeling satisfied. The “dawg,” as they call it, is still there. This veteran aura he has about him, this level he’s reached, hasn’t robbed him of intensity. Instead, it focuses that intensity. Allows him to harness it. That’s the benefit of the game slowing down.

He’s still obsessed with football. It’s all he and his boys talk about. He’s constantly digesting it with his teammates, getting into the weeds with coaches.

Mistakes still gnaw at him. Friday, during a move-the-ball scrimmage, he made a spectacular catch over the middle of the field, snatching it out of the air over Deommodore Lenoir and maintaining his clasp on the ball as he hit the ground. Aiyuk flexed when he got up as the fans cheered — even while safety George Odum tried to tell the crowd the ball hit the ground. But even with his highlight catch, Aiyuk was more focused after practice on the diving out route he dropped on third down near the right sidelines.

“That’s the one I’m going to think about,” he said, still shaking his head.

But he can also recognize where he is now and the growth he’s achieved. He can bear witness to how the work has paid off, and how much he’s grown. His approach, his talent, his effort, it’s all working.

If Aiyuk’s camp dominance translates into increased production during the regular season, one of the league’s most potent offenses will get even more potent. He set career highs last season in targets (114), catches (78), receiving yards (1,015), touchdowns (8) and catch percentage (68.4).If he’s got another level to him, as it appears, then so might the 49ers.

“I’m just thankful for everything,” Aiyuk said. “Thankful for everything leading up to this point. Because it’s made me who I am today. So whether that’s good or bad, all the above, I just take it in and I get to go let it all out there when I’m playing football.”

Aiyuk doesn’t want to use the word easy. It slips out, but he yanks it back quickly. Nothing about this life is easy. He has, however, noticed the ease with which things are coming to him. And he knows why.

He came into camp as ready as he’s ever been.

A tweak to his regimen is providing major dividends. In the offseason, he usually goes to SoCal and gets his work done. This time, he brought his team up north, including Dr. Joey Salgado. He had his own camp before the 49ers did.

Having stacked a couple offseasons of good body work, he knew what he wanted to accomplish this spring. Being in elite shape allowed him to dive heavily into skill work as well. He was running routes at Santa Clara University nearly two months before camp started. By the time he got to practice, he was in machine mode with the timing on his routes, getting in and out of breaks, coming back to the ball.

“He is just crisp,” quarterback Sam Darnold said. “He’s very consistent in his route running. So, I think that’s huge. And then obviously, we know what he does with the ball once he gets it after the catch.”

He understands so much better now. He’s picked enough football brains, watched enough professionals, made enough mistakes. He’s pieced together elements he liked from others, and learned enough about himself, to find a rhythm in the game. He’s got a firm vision of who he can be and how he can get there. Now he knows where to aim his drive, what the monster should attack.

“Last year I thought was the best year that he’s had,” Shanahan said, “and you usually know how they react to that based off the offseason. And he’s been obsessed this offseason with football. You can tell he enjoys talking about it, he enjoys preparing for it, and he’s truly become a pro. And the results I think will keep showing.”

And one of his areas of attack was route running.

Aiyuk said one of the early lessons was the importance of technique at this level. His athleticism was a clear advantage at Arizona State. But in the NFL, explosiveness is par. So the development of Aiyuk has been a blending of his athleticism with enhanced technique.

He made his mark in the NFL as a physical receiver — 6 feet, 200 pounds with a 40-inch vertical leap and a 6-foot-9 wingspan. His mindset is as imposing as his physical attributes. Aiyuk doesn’t run out of bounds.

But now, he’s gotten surgical on his routes. The concoction of his physical tools and improved understanding produces a sharp change of direction, explosive bursts and a certainty that makes him an obvious target for his quarterback. The website FiveThirtyEight, using ESPN’s analytics, gave Aiyuk a “getting open” rating of 81 — tied with the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and the Raiders’ Davante Adams for ninth highest. If he’s even better at getting open this season, that’s a big deal for Brock Purdy.

“Really crispy routes,” Oliver said. “He’s just really detailed in his routes. Really explosive. Quick off the line.”

While Aiyuk is looking better, he still believes he’s underrated. And the football-addicted 25-year-old digests slights as if they’re fuel.

In July, ESPN released its 10 best players at each position. After the top 10, six more were named honorable mention. Another 10 players received votes. So that’s 26 receivers mentioned, and Aiyuk’s name was nowhere to be found. Aiyuk took note. Two weeks ago, CBS Sports dropped its top 100 NFL players, with another 47 players on honorable mention. No Aiyuk. Green Bay’s Christian Watson, who had 41 catches in his rookie season, was the last receiver mentioned.

And if the rankings aren’t enough, if the accolades and attention stop serving as motivation to keep going, he’s always got the linebackers on his team.

His girl and toddler son have a way of putting the monster back in the cage. But Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw — anyone on the defense, really — they sure know how to bring it right back out of him. Easily.

“Nah, they can’t be talking to me like that,” Aiyuk said. “Even though I know it’s all love.”

He still remembers being a freshman at Sierra College, new to the receiver position, and getting jammed at the line of scrimmage. Oh, he hated it. He vowed right then and there, never again would he be manhandled on the field.

One thing ever so clear about Aiyuk is that this edginess works for him. The hunger has brought him a long way. The toughness, the refusal to be punked, his hellbent demeanor, it all makes him a problem on the field. Entering his fourth year, he’s added maturity, experience, expertise. And now he’s primed for a breakout season. Perhaps the respect he deserves is coming. Maybe even stardom.

Because it’s all working.

(Top photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)