NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers First Round Pick Detrimental For Green Bay Packers

KEY POINTS

The San Francisco 49ers traded up to select Brandon Aiyuk in the first round of the NFL draft
It was speculated that the Green Bay Packers were supposed to draft Brandon Aiyuk
The Green Bay Packers drafted a quarterback instead of a wide receiver

The recently concluded NFL draft left some teams ahead of the others. This includes the San Francisco 49ers as their first-round selection of Brandon Aiyuk has led to an indirect impact on the Green Bay Packers.

It was a massive draft day adjustment for the 49ers as they traded up for the right to select Aiyuk. The 49ers originally had the 31st pick but were able to trade up for the 25th. This was a decision made due to the information San Francisco received that the Packers were interested in Aiyuk.

Based on what I’m gathering through several chats, sounds that 49ers were concerned about Packers drafting Brandon Aiyuk at No. 26. Lynch/Shanahan spoke of “intel” that spurred SF trade up to 25; that might’ve been it.

GB picked Jordan Love at 26; Aiyuk gone by then of course
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 29, 2020

Based on the playoffs last year, the Packers were in need of someone who can lead the offensive charge for the team. This was evident in the big loss against the 49ers in the NFC Championship round as the Packers fell 20-37. The Packers were one win away from reaching the Super Bowl and it was clear that they wanted to improve on their roster moving forward.

It was expected for the Packers to then select a talented wide receiver in the draft in order to secure more weapons for the veteran Aaron Rodgers. This, unfortunately, did not happen due to the 49ers trading up and getting ahead of the Packers in the draft order.

The draft eventually ended with Green Bay selecting Jordan Love, a quarterback from the Utah State Aggies football program. This raised questions on the Packers’ front office team, as this appeared as drafting of an apparent successor for Rodgers instead of adding offensive tools for the veteran.

It’s interesting to note that Rodgers is 36 years old and still plays at an elite level considering the Packers were only a few plays away from the Super Bowl. The draft would have been a strong chance to bounce back and secure a stronger position moving forward.

With the 49ers nabbing a quality wide receiver from the Packers, it would be an intriguing sight to behold in the coming season. The championship game saw San Francisco fall against the dominant Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Key additions like Aiyuk can give them the additional firepower they need to retaliate in the coming season.