Are the 49ers Exploring Trades for Aiyuk?

As of today, the 49ers front office is denying that they are exploring trades for Aiyuk. The key word is ‘as of today’ because this very much could change next week. With the 2024 NFL Draft coming next Thursday we could see San Francisco changing its stance and trading away their star receiver during the draft.

If they do entertain trades we can expect San Francisco to want a decent haul in return. This could include multiple draft picks in this year’s draft. Look no further than the Stefon Diggs trade for what to expect for Aiyuk.

The Bills shipped Diggs to Houston for a 2025 2nd-round pick, a 2025 5th-round pick and a 2024 6th-round pick. I believe a 2024 2nd-round pick and a 2025 mid-round pick could pique the 49ers interest. Especially if the 2nd round pick is high in that round.

Possible Brandon Aiyuk Landing Spots

If you look at the current betting odds for Aiyuk’s next team the Steelers are in the lead at +200. This makes sense as Pittsburgh is in need of more weapons after the departure of Diontae Johnson. The Steelers have the 20th pick in the first round and they could offer this for Aiyuk.

Another team to watch is the Washington Commanders. Washington is also in need of receivers and Aiyuk has ties to the new front office. Commanders GM Adam Peters drafted Aiyuk in 2020 and knows him well. Washington would then have to pay Aiyuk but they have plenty of cap space. The only hesitation I have to this scenario is the Commanders would have two high-paid receivers. Terry McLaurin has two more years left on his contract and has a cap hit of $24 million this year.

Then of course there is the Jayden Daniels connection. If you believe the rumors that the Commanders plan on drafting Daniels with the 2nd pick then pairing him with his former Arizona St. receiver makes sense. For the record, I do believe Daniels is the pick for Washington as outlined in my latest mock draft.

There will be plenty of chatter between now and the draft on Aiyuk’s future with the 49ers. If he is indeed traded I expect it to come next weekend.

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This handed Chicago the 1st overall pick and the rights to generational talent Caleb Williams. Long story short, the Panthers have had a bad few seasons so let’s look at some ways they can bounce back. 

Bryce Young

Bryce young obviously didn’t have the best rookie season by his standards, but his career is far from over as we have seen multiple times a QB just need a better situation. For example, Trevor Lawrence seemed to be a huge bust after his rookie season in Jacksonville but then the following seasons he played like a top 10 Quarterback. Thankfully for Young, he’s going to some real help this season as the Panthers traded for Diontae Johnson and are likely to take a WR with their 33rd pick in the draft.

The Offensive Line

Young was sacked 65 times last year and with the additions of Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, that unit should be much improved. Also in terms of run blocking the Panthers ranked nearly the bottom of the league of run block win rate.

The Division

Carolina by no means are going to be contenders this year, but neither are any of the teams in the division. The buccaneers made the divisional round last year but I do not expect that level of success to continue into next year and as far as the rest of the division, it’s not looking good. Carolina has a real shot to put it all together and potentially make a run at the NFC south title. 

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PLAYERS TO START

QB: Trevor Lawrence JAX (Projected: 18.08 FP)

No other QB has been as dominant right now as is Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence has led Jacksonville to two straight big comeback victories against playoff teams. In terms of FP, he has averaged 30+ FP in those games as well. He comes in and faces a tough New York Jets defense. However, he has been playing his butt off and he will continue to prove he is the future of the NFL with another great performance.

WR: Diontae Johnson PIT (Projected: 10.23 FP)

Diontae Johnson is the best WR right now who has zero TDs this season. He has had a great season so far and constantly produces double digit games. Last week, he caught 10 passes for 98 yards and rushed for two yards. With a game against the Raiders in Week 16, he is primed for another solid performance and hopefully his first TD.

PLAYERS TO SIT

RB: Joe Mixon CIN (Projected 14.35 FP)

Joe Mixon struggled in Week 15 against Tampa Bay when he was just held to 21 rushing yards. He did do well in the pass game to bring him to 10.40 FP. For Week 16, he faces a New England defense that does well against the run. It might be better to find another option instead of Joe Mixon for the Week 16 games.

TE: Mark Andrews BAL (Projected: 14.27 FP)

Mark Andrews disappointed again when he faced the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. He only caught three of seven passes for just 31 yards. He hasn’t scored in double-digits since Week 12 where he scored 10 FP exactly. It’s getting difficult to trust Andrews especially since Baltimore has focused on the run more ever since Lamar Jackson got hurt.

DEF/ST: Buffalo Bills BUF (Projected: 9.25 FP)

Buffalo will come into Week 16 against the Chicago Bears on the road. They face Justin Fields who has been dynamic and unstoppable when he’s running. The Eagles struggled against him and are one of the elite defenses in football. Last week, the Bills defense struggled against Miami by scoring just two fantasy points. The projection is really high for the Bills and I think they may have a difficult time approaching that score.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Deshaun Watson-less Cleveland Browns were defeated by their archnemesis in the Pittsburgh Steelers last night. The Browns possess a fine 2-1 record, while the Steelers dropped to 1-2 on the season. With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Steelers-Browns showdown.

Nick Chubb show

The Browns RB1, Nick Chubb, certainly spewed havoc on the Steelers defense that was without T.J. Watt. Chubb ousted 23 carries, 113 rushing yards, and 1 touchdown on TNF. At this point, he’s collected 341 rushing yds, 4 rushing TDs, and averaged 5.5 YPC. He holds a monster 88.4 grade by PFF on the season, too.

Devin Bush and Myles Jack

We need commissioner Gordon, to tell the truth, that Devin Bush still stinks. He had six tackles against the Browns, but he hasn’t been anywhere near lethal in 2022. PFF has given Bush a lousy 48.8 grade for his 2022 output at this point. The veteran LB Myles Jack hasn’t been helpful, as well (a 60.3 grade by PFF this season).

Amari Cooper

Kevin Stefanski’s plan is proceeding as expected. Besides Chubb looking like a threat from the RB spot, WR Amari Cooper flashed excellence by hauling in 7 catches for 101 yds (averaging 14.4 YPC) and a TD. Let’s not forget that the former Cowboys WR garnered 9 grabs for 101 yds and a TD the week prior.

Diontae Johnson

The Steelers wideout Diontae Johnson wasn’t a dud with his 8 grabs for 84 yards last night. Johnson has registered 21 catches for 196 yards on the 2022 season thus far. Furthermore, he’s garnered at least 10 targets in each match-up. After inking a two-year contract extension last month, the Steelers WR is set to be a free agent in the 2025 off-season.

Jacoby Brissett

Jacoby Brissett may compete at the over-glorified QB spot, but he was still a sharp figure for the Browns last night. He unveiled 2 passing touchdowns, 220 passing yards, and blatantly took care of the football with zero turnovers. I’m positive that Browns fans are delighted with the improvement in Brissett’s performance from a week ago.

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By: Jake Rajala

Diontae Johnson was a monster in 2021, as he recorded career highs in: receptions (107), targets (169) yards (1,161 yds), and touchdowns (8). His production spoke for himself, as he was a Top-10 fantasy WR in PPR (9th in points per game) in 2021. Johnson rightfully garnered a Pro Bowl spot last season, via his tremendous third season in the league.

It’s obvious that Johnson was from another planet last season, but the question is: can Johnson be a potent WR in the new-look Steelers offense? Well, I believe he certainly will be a stat machine for Mitchell Trubisky, as he seems to be logical 2022 starter.

Per Behind the Steelers Curtain, the Steelers fans also believe Trubisky is in line to be the QB1.

There are two important factors revolving the Steelers QB change. For 1. Big Ben was far from excellent in 2021. The Steelers QB legend threw 22 touchdowns, 6.2 Y/A, and unveiled 3,740 yds. For 2. Trubisky (assuming he gets the Week 1 keys to the offense), can likely be an upgrade over the 2021 version of Roethlisberger in a Steelers uniform. Trubisky threw 24 touchdowns in 14 games as a sophomore QB in a worse situation. I still believe that the Nagy-less version of Trubisky can at least oust a season similar to his 2018 season.

I actually believe there is a strong chance that Trubisky is the 2023 starter. It may seem sexy to say Trubisky is the “mentor” but he is only 27 (28 in August) at this moment. It should also be noted that Pickett doesn’t appear to have an impressive ceiling.

Johnson will not only be heavily targeted (perhaps a bit less than 2021), but he will excel in the deep-passing game with his new QB. I understand that the former Steelers QB won two Super Bowls and somehow receives a legacy comparison to Aaron Rodgers, but I believe that Johnson will continue to climb the ladder with a more explosive QB-mate in 2022. Trust in Johnson (and his contract year) and his long-term outlook as a Steeler in the JuJu-less offense, as the Pickett Trubisky-Johnson connection should thrive.

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By: Ivan Mulinder

Heading into the 2022 Draft the Steelers had some roster needs to fill. Long-time successful QB Ben Roethlisberger had retired, and although they had acquired Mitchell Trubisky, with Mason Rudolph as backup, there was still the opportunity to get a QB from this year’s Draft. The Steelers needed a replacement for WR Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster, who would complement Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson. Their Secondary required topping up to replace CB Joe Haden and upgrade S Karl Joseph. They had signed CB Levi Wallace for 2 years on $8 million from the Bills and re-signed Miles Killebrew for 2 years on $4 million, but depth at both positions is very important.

The Offensive Line had been invested in post-season with RG James Daniels signed for 3 years for $26.5 million from Chicago, and Chukwuma Okorafor re-signed for 3 years on $29.25 million. With Centre Mason Cole and RG Kendrick Green as likely backup to Daniels this left a need for an LT in the Draft, as rookie Dan Moore Jr was thrust into that starting role in 2021. The Steelers had done a lot in the off-season pre-Draft to fill holes so we’re really looking at rotational depth players in the key areas of WR, CB, S & LT with investment in the long-term QB position. The defensive line is a strength of the Steelers, but it’s always worth investing in if the right player is available. They had also invested in ILB Myles Jack for 2 years on $16 million who paired with Devin Bush makes their LB core a strong Room.

The Steelers Drafted the following players:

• Round 1 Pick 20 QB Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh
• Round 2 Pick 52 WR George Pickens from Georgia
• Round 3 Pick 84 DT DeMarvin Leal from Texas A&M
• Round 4 Pick 138 WR Calvin Austin from Memphis
• Round 6 Pick 208 FB/TE Connor Heyward from Michigan State
• Round 7 Pick 225 LB Mark Robinson from Ole Miss
• Round 7 Pick 241 QB Chris Oladokun from South Dakota State

It was no surprise the Steelers picked a QB at 20, and in fact, they had their choice of the QBs available, opting for the one with the highest floor. Kenny Pickett had a really good 2021 leading Pittsburgh to the ACC Championship, with 4,319 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, only 7 interceptions, 241 running yards, and 67.2% completions. He’s a good pocket passer with mobility and has a good OL to develop behind. The main concern is his 8.5-inch hands and his 38 fumbles with Michael Vick and Tony Romo being the only two successful QB with 8.5-inch hands in the NFL. Rather surprisingly, unless they know Rudolph is leaving, the Steelers went QB again in the 7th Round with Oladokun, who had a good year at South Dakota State, with 25 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He’s known to have good arm talent and pocket mobility so is one to develop on the Practice Squad.

The Steelers met further needs by Drafting two WRs. George Pickens is 6.3 and 195lbs with a 40-yard dash of 4.47 seconds and is a top 25 overall recruit nationally- with an attitude. He tore his ACL in 2021 but did return to play in the final 4 games. He has excellent ball skills and is an outside WR, with route running needing development. Calvin Austin III should be a really useful addition as slot WR to the Steelers WR Room. Although 5.8 and 170lbs, he’s really fast with a 40-yard speed of 4.32 and is a good punt returner. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers key addition was DeMarvin Leal who is a good DT standing at 6.4 & 283lbs. He had his best year in 2021 with 58 tackles, 12.5 for loss, 8.5 sacks, and 2 pass break-ups. He’s a versatile DL man and a very good pick-up for the Steelers. 

The AFC North is going to be a really tough Division in 2022 so getting to the postseason will be a challenge. The Steelers Draft filled holes at QB and WR but didn’t touch LT or add Secondary depth at CB or S. With outstanding QBs in the Division, namely Burrow & Watson, and Jackson an inconsistent, but very real threat in passing, the Steelers are going to have to rely upon consistently good performances. They are pretty solid across their roster and in Mike Tomlin, they have an HC who has had 15 consecutive winning seasons, so is the man you want in charge of a transitionary period in Steelers history.  I suspect that QB will be the key difference between the teams next season.

The post Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 Draft Analysis appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a special long-term wide receiver in Chase Claypool. The 23-year-old from Abbotsford, Canada has already stated that he doesn’t care who his starting quarterback is, as he’s still fully prepared to be a reliable weapon for any QB in many seasons to come.

Claypool has been quite a slightly effective chess piece for the Steelers offense in his two seasons thus far. In 2020, he recorded 62 receptions (109 targets), 873 yds, and 9 touchdowns. After his rookie season, he notched 59 receptions and 860 yards.

Claypool will definitely have an increased role in the JuJu Smith-less offense in Pittsburgh. Diontae Johnson was a monster in 2021 (107/1,161/8), but Claypool will certainly attract his fair share of targets. He should also really help replace JuJu’s red-zone presence (9 touchdowns in 2020). I expect Mitchell Trubisky to be the starter in 2022 and he should be an upgrade over the 2021 version of Big Ben, too.

Trubisky may not be a true MVP-caliber QB, but he did help his mediocre Bears offense reach the playoffs in 2020. He reached the Pro Bowl in 2018 and I believe he could be an “a prime Andy Dalton” or “prime Matt Schaub” for the Steelers for a couple of seasons. If Pickett is groomed as the QB2 at the start, he should soon be the starting QB.

I honestly am a big fan of Chase Chase Claypool’s outlook. His WR partner in Johnson is ranked as the 14th ranked WR in dynasty PPR via Fantasy Pros, while he is cemented as the 35th best WR. I love the floor for Claypool, as he should be very involved and he could really be a secret superstar. If Pickett can be the “next Big Ben”, Claypool could have a tremendous career, to say the least. It’s time to buy the WR that was often compared to Calvin Johnson Jr. as a draft prospect.

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By: Corey Dunn

The NFL is an entity with constant change and moving parts. No team can escape the inevitable hard decisions that seem to linger in the offseason. The team that will be focused in this article are the Pittsburgh Steelers, mainly Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. They played in an amazing offense that seemed to stall out towards the end of the season, coupled with an elite head coach and plenty of question marks. Will Ben Roethlisberger return? Will he be effective? Will they have similar roles in the upcoming season? Let’s dive into the analysis a little here.

For starters, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are by far from identical, despite finishing close to each other in the higher end WR20 range. Diontae is a smaller receiver at 5’10” 183 pounds and fits more of the Antonio Brown role that has been void since his departure in 2019. He is the kind of volume dependent wideout that Big Ben loves to turn into a star. With 10 plus targets in 10 of his 14 healthy games, he filled the role admirably, albeit only 6.4 yards per target. On the other hand, Chase Claypool is basically a superfreak that was created in a laboratory. He’s a freak at 6’4” 238 pounds, also running a 4.42 forty. He has a rare combination of size and speed that GM’s and head coaches drool over. He was routinely a downfield target, ranking in the top 10 in the NFL in air yards and an average target distance (aDOT) of 13.3 yards. 

Next, we need to know who is throwing them the ball. This is where it gets tricky. Ben Roethlisberger is rumoured to be returning to the Steelers with a new contract to be less of a cap hit, ESPN reports. I still don’t think it’s set in stone that he is returning, but I think it is around 65-35 leaning that he gives it one last go around. Mike Tomlin runs the most pass heavy offense in the league, averaging a league high 42.6 attempts a game. The Steelers have a good history of quarterbacks, so I have confidence in their ability to bring in a quality signal caller and trust Mike Tomlin’s so support multiple wideouts in the top 24. 

Finally we get to talk about the outlook of the wide receivers. First up is Diontae Johnson.He has elite footwork and has established himself as one of the best route runners in the NFL in just his second year. Despite being a smaller receiver, he carried a large load for the offense. We mentioned the intangibles earlier, but let’s dive deeper into the numbers now. The former Toledo Rocket carried the WR1 load for the Steelers offense with 144 total targets, but disappointed with 923 yards and a 61% catch rate. He was banged up a little early, which is concerning given the fact that he is a smaller receiver. The flashes of talent showed up inconsistently, however I did enjoy watching him work underneath. Most of his success came from slants, curls, and screens and him turning it upfield for a chunk gain. The biggest red flag was the league leading 11 drops during the season. The fact of the matter is that you cannot be an Alpha wideout with these types of stats nowadays. He can enjoy success but I’m not quite sure he can be a trusted fantasy WR1. He will consistently be around the WR2/3 range for the rest of his career. I do think he has a very solid future as a slot receiver in the NFL, but is a better real life football player than fantasy asset. Now, onto Chase Claypool.

Chase Claypool has a ton to be excited about, but first let’s dive into the blemishes.  I noticed that he would disappear a lot in games, most likely to the amount of go routes to open up the field underneath. Also, like his colleague Diontae, he struggled with drops. He had 5 drops on the season, which is not terrible and will likely be chalked up as rookie struggles.I don’t think that will be a major issue going forward though. His 56.9% catch rate on 109 targets is a tad concerning too. I think this is due to most of his targets being downfield and having less shallow routes for higher percentage targets. Now the good news. He had an 80.5% true catch rate and opened up a new page of the playbook as a field stretcher. His huge frame was also used a ton in the red zone, having 13 targets within the 20. He is only getting better and will be fun to watch going forward. I think that he has the type of frame and future workload to be a Mike Evans caliber of player. He simply has too much talent to keep wrapped up and it will be bad news for the league when he figures it all out.

To sum everything up, both wideouts will be someone you want to own in dynasty. Diontae will have his best seasons as a target hog, but with his role being a question mark after next season, he might be a sell high candidate.The futures of both hinge on where Juju Smith-Schuster goes. If he stays on a long term deal, it will be interesting to see how he eats into the shallow targets of Diontae Johnson. Chase Claypool is the piece of the offense that I would want, as his role is off of big plays and he doesn’t need a lot of targets to get to his value. His ceiling is 40+ points and we have already seen him hit that as a rookie. His speed will sneak up on slower defensive backs and he will have many chunk plays. Diontae’s ceiling is lower to me at around 26 points, which isn’t bad, but is purely volume based. A ceiling comparison for Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool  would be Steve Smith and Vincent Jackson, respectively. I don’t believe DJ will reach his full potential once Big Ben retires though. I would recommend selling high on Diontae and getting as many shares of Chase Claypool like he’s GameStop or AMC.

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