Ultimately, the first-round buzz pre-NFL draft Brandon Aiyuk received came to fruition. The San Francisco 49ers moved up six spots to the 25th overall slot in tonight’s NFL draft to select the former ASU wide receiver.
This is the second straight year an ASU wide receiver is selected in the first round after N’Keal Harry was picked 32nd overall last year. Not only is this the first time that two ASU wide receivers are selected in the first round in back-to-back years, but this is also a true validation of ASU’s pro model culture.
This selection also marks the first time the Sun Devils netted a first-round pick in consecutive drafts since 2002-03. In fact, they had a first-round pick in four straight years between 2000-2003.
Selected 25th overall, Brandon Aiyuk is the highest ASU player pick in the NFL Draft since Terrell Suggs was picked 10th overall in 2003.
Aiyuk joins Harry, Aaron Cox in 1988, John Jefferson in 1978, Steve Holden in 1973, and J.D. Hill in 1971 as the only other Sun Devil wide receivers in school history to be selected in the first round.
Aiyuk, a First Team California Community College Football Coaches Association All-American as an All-Purpose athlete, who joined ASU out of Sierra College in 2018 was overshadowed by Harry in his first year in Tempe, posted 474 receiving yards and three touchdowns, but as the Sun Devils’ featured aerial weapon last season he paced Arizona State with 65 receptions for 1,192 receiving yards (fifth-most in ASU single-season) and eight touchdowns, as his exploits netted him an All-Pac-12 first-team selection.
Yet, he wasn’t only recognized as one of the conference’s top wide receivers but also the top special teams returner averaging 31.9 yards per kick return and 16.1 yards per punt return including a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Aiyuk ranked second in the FBS in the regular season in yards after the catch with 710 while his 10.9 yards after the catch per reception were the 12th-most nationally.
He finished the regular season 8th nationally and 2nd in the Pac-12 with 1,192 receiving yards on the year while his 99.3 receiving yards per game were also 13th in the FBS in the regular season and second in the league.
He’s one of just three receivers with two 80+ yard receiving touchdowns on the year (Arkansas State's Omar Baylesss and Louisville's Chatarius Atwell). His six catches over 50 yards were second in the nation in the regular season while his nine 40+ yard catches were third and three 70+ grabs were second. His 12 catches over 30 yards were good for sixth.
His 196 total receiving yards in the Washington State contest ranked 11th-most in Sun Devil single-game history.
In two short seasons in Tempe, Aiyuk racked up 2,725 all-purpose yards. His 2018 1,870 all-purpose yards in the regular season (fourth in school history) were good for sixth nationally, came on only 94 total plays. His 19.9 yards per touch ranked him fourth nationally.
Aiyuk was the only player in the country to record at least 200 yards on both punt (226) and kick (446) returns in the regular season. His 226 punt return yards were 11th in the country.
Very few ASU players have had a more productive two-year stint in Tempe than Brandon Aiyuk, so it comes as no surprise that his NFL draft selection created some school history tonight.
