5 receivers Patriots could trade for ranked by likelihood

3. Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk, a key player for the 49ers, is now a potential trade target as he enters the final year of his contract. Despite his hopes for an extension this offseason, talks have reportedly not materialized yet, contradicting general manager John Lynch's earlier assertion.

The 26-year-old has become a rising star in San Francisco's offense over the last two years despite competing with George Kittle, Christian McCaffery, and Deebo Samuel for snaps. He's recorded back-to-back seasons of 1,000+ yards, with last year's best season of his career to help his team make the Super Bowl.

So, it makes sense that he would expect an extension with the team.

With the lack of progress in contract talks, the possibility of Aiyuk being traded is becoming more likely. His performance has proven his versatility and ability to adapt to different quarterbacks, making him a valuable asset for any offense. He could be a significant boost for the Patriots, who are currently facing uncertainty in the position.

Aiyuk would be a solid addition to the offense, though, reuniting with former teammate Kendrick Bourne on the East Coast. The main issue with this actually becoming reality is the chances of the Niners deciding to make him available to trade and what they'd expect in return.

He is a former first-round pick who could possibly still be worth that much in the eyes of his current team. In that case, the Patriots would have to give up their 2025 first-round pick since they will clearly not move off the third overall pick.

Determining the worthiness of that trade would need to be seriously considered, especially with some more likely options to potentially become available.