With the 49ers picking Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall No. 31 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night, could one of San Francisco's star pass catchers be on the move?
While The Athletic's Diana Russini reported before the draft that the 49ers were considering moving up from No. 31 by trading either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel, both receivers made it through the first round without being dealt.
However, a trade still might materialize, as Samuel now is viewed as the likely odd man out, the San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver reported late Thursday night, citing multiple front-office and coaching sources from teams that previously had negotiated potential deals with the 49ers for Samuel and Aiyuk.
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Silver also reported that a deal could come together quickly, perhaps before the start of Friday's second round or while a potential trade partner is on the clock, and that San Francisco is believed to be seeking second- and third-round selections for Samuel.
Aiyuk has been at the center of trade rumors this offseason as he and the 49ers try to work out a contract extension, with the former first-round pick in the 2020 draft set to enter the fifth and final year on his rookie deal. Should he remain with San Francisco, he'll play alongside a former Arizona State teammate in Pearsall, who later transferred to Florida.
But as the 49ers attempt to extend Aiyuk, it appears they're not opposed to dumping some salary via a Samuel trade. Samuel has a base salary of $20.97 million in 2024 and $16.6 million in 2025 as part of a contract he signed in 2022 and a trade would cause the 49ers to carry $21.7 million in "dead money" in 2024.
After the 49ers selected Pearsall on Thursday, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters they wouldn't rule out any trade when asked about the Samuel rumors while reiterating their desire to extend Aiyuk.
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The NFL is a business at the end of the day, and it appears the Faithful can't rule out either fan-favorite receiver being traded as San Francisco attempts to build for the future. But one certainly appears more likely than the other.
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