Pittsburgh Steelers choose an offensive tackle in the first round. Meanwhile, the 49ers in San Francisco did not make a wide receiver trade in spite of all the hype surrounding draft night. They drafted one instead.
San Francisco selected Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall with the 31st choice in the first round, which immediately increased speculation about what the team will do with its two great wideouts currently on the roster. Both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel were rumoured to be available going into the draft, and now that they have a rookie receiver selected with their first-round pick, it seems even more likely that they will select one.
Nevertheless, it seems the 49ers are taking a different approach, even with Aiyuk being the most sought-after name on the receiver trade block and the 26-year-old not being signed. Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Samuel is more likely to be dealt by the team than Aiyuk.
The 28-year-old Samuel is a unique choice for the Steelers. This season, the running back/receiver has a $28.6 million cap hit; the following year, it rises to $24.2 million. In his five years as a dual-threat offensive weapon, he has amassed 1,007 rushing yards and 4,122 receiving yards, good for 38 touchdowns combined.
Samuel could be a star in Arthur Smith’s offence, but the Steelers aren’t putting all of their eggs in him to replace Aiyuk. They may have been looking for a more experienced wide receiver to complement George Pickens, and Samuel’s two-year contract may make more sense than signing Aiyuk to a long-term contract.
The name might have changed, but it looks like they’re still in the running for a relocation with the 49ers.
