Draft Profile: Brandon Aiyuk

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 208lb
• College: Arizona State
• Tape watched: Oregon, Arizona, USC, Michigan State, Oregon State
• NFL Comparison: Demarcus Robinson

Pros

• Return Game
  Brandon Aiyuk will likely make the most immediate impact on special teams.  He is a top return man in the 2020 NFL draft both on kickoffs and punts.  He has no hesitation when he hits holes, and he runs extremely strong through arm tackles. His speed really shows up on returns.
  
• Deep Threat
  Aiyuk’s best trait in college was his ability to get behind defenses.  He flashes long speed and great separation from most defensive backs.  He has a great double move on deep routes as well.  Aiyuk can further his abilities down field if he works on fighting off unnecessary contact from defenders.  Often times he allowed himself to be held and interfered with just enough to hinder a reception.

• Cuts
  Aiyuk has strong and decisive route breaks.  Consistency is the biggest question with Aiyuk and his route running.  He has a good feel for setting up defenders, but lacks burst out of his cuts at times and can play too patient.

Cons

• Route running
  Aiyuk struggles to separate underneath defenses due to his lack of true speed in and out of cuts.  At times he is too patient running his route and as a result fails to get to his spots.  Poor quarterback play figures into Aiyuk’s struggles, and an even worse offensive scheme.  His routes were pretty limited, where most of his receptions came down field, on screens, and shallow crossers.
  
• Release
  Footwork and lateral quickness came and went for Aiyuk, as did much of his pros and cons of 2019.  His release was inconsistent as a result, and his ability to separate from corners on route breaks suffered.  For a receiver of his stature, it would benefit him to use his strong frame to leverage corners off their position.
  
  Aiyuk’s Oregon tape showcases his high ceiling.  He exploded off the line of scrimmage and showed his ability to separate underneath.
  
• Combat Catches
  Aiyuk struggles with contested-catch situations.  He doesn’t create advantageous body positions to keep defenders away from the football.  He lets the football into his body a lot, and in turn makes it more difficult and inconsistent to complete catches in traffic. Aiyuk had slow hands on quick throws at times, although poor throws played their part.

Overview

Brandon Aiyuk’s success in the NFL may be determined on his landing spot.  A team that sees his potential and can develop him to his strengths will benefit the most from drafting him.  For someone so great in the return game, it was interesting to see the lack of yards Aiyuk totaled after the catch, specifically on short and intermediate routes.  The talent is evident, he just needs an offense that will create touches to display his abilities. Aiyuk offers good speed, an NFL-ready frame, and excellent return skills.  However, he may be limited on offense to an outside receiver and will need to work on contributing more than a deep threat.