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Best landing spots for Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk as 49ers trade rumors swirl
The 2024 NFL Draft is in full swing with Rounds 2-3 set for Friday night in downtown Detroit. Five trades occurred in Round 1 alone and there's likely much more movement expected over the following two days of the draft.
We've yet to see a trade around the draft involving a veteran NFL player but that could change on Friday. San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are both rumored to be in trade talks during the draft. Those rumors only increased after San Francisco drafted a wide receiver - Ricky Pearsall - at No. 31 overall Thursday night.
The 49ers are all-in again in 2024 after losing Super Bowl 58 in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs. But needing to sign Aiyuk and quarterback Brock Purdy to long-term deals could force a trade for the future.
Here are four potential landing spots for either Aiyuk or Samuel during the draft this weekend:
New England Patriots
The Patriots were one of the few teams named in talks for a San Francisco wide receiver, according to NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Insider Tom Curran. The Patriots drafted Drake Maye at No. 3 overall but had one of the worst offenses in the league in 2023. New England's done little to improve the offense outside of signing wide receiver K.J. Osborn in free agency.
Either Samuel or Aiyuk would immediately become the top target in New England. The Patriots have the cap space in both 2024 and 2025 to take on either Samuel's contract or a potential Aiyuk extension. They do not, however, have a lot of extra draft capital this weekend. They have one pick in each round with the exception of two picks in Round 6.
As a team with many needs on offense, they could use a proven commodity to help usher Maye into the starting role either this season or next.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers went offensive line at No. 5 Thursday night in selecting Joe Alt. The Notre Dame tackle was the first offensive lineman picked and gives Los Angeles a pair of bookend tackles - along with 2021 first-round pick Rashawn Slater - for franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.
But this is the team that released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen this offseason to help free up lots of cap space. The Chargers' top receivers are now second-year players Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis as well as Joshua Palmer. With an extra fourth-round pick this weekend, Los Angeles could make a move for either Samuel or Aiyuk to immediately improve the pass catchers around Herbert. The Chargers have the cap space to handle either contract as well.
Buffalo Bills
After trading down multiple times in the first round, Buffalo is fielding calls for the No. 33 overall pick. The Bills have three picks on Friday: two in Round 2 and one in Round 3.
The Bills traded away Stefon Diggs earlier this offseason and now feature Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and Justin Shorter as the top wide receivers for quarterback Josh Allen. That unit could use an upgrade for a team looking to compete in the hyper-competitive AFC. If they're not enamored with the wide receiver options at No. 33, they could use their second Round 2 pick to make a move for one of the San Francisco wideouts.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta gave fans the surprise of the night in Round 1 by drafting Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall. New Falcons head coach Raheem Morris had to game plan against both Samuel and Aiyuk for three years as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator. Atlanta has weapons on offense but could make a move to improve even more, starting with trading their extra third-round pick on Day 2 of the draft.
2024 NFL draft: How to watch on cable TV and streaming
When: April 25-27, 2024
Where: Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan
Cable: ESPN2; ABC; NFL Network
How to watch: Catch all seven rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft with a subscription to fuboTV
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk destinations if 49ers decide to trade
