Niners Nation
After a down year for the receiver group, did any make PFF’s list?
Pro Football Focus ranked the 32 NFL quarterbacks recently and has returned with the top 32 Wide Receivers in the NFL. Brock Purdy made it to tier three with Jared Goff and Geno Smith. Before the 2025 season begins, are any San Francisco 49ers on the top-32 list?
Trevor Sikkema of PFF is back at it with his rankings.
Surprisingly, A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles claims the top spot ahead of Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Sikkema cited Brown’s league-leading receiving grade against single coverage for the past three seasons as the deciding factor.
What about the 49ers? 2024 was a rough season for the entire team, and the receivers were a prime example of the overall struggles. The 49ers' first-round pick was hurt in a robbery attempt to begin the season, and their star receiver was in the middle of a nasty contract holdout. Eventually, Brandon Aiyuk inked his deal and started for the team in Week 1.
Sikkema ranks Aiyuk in tier four at number 19.
Aiyuk was one of the NFL’s top receivers in 2023, finishing with a 92.3 receiving grade and an outstanding 18.0 yards per reception as one of the league’s premier deep threats. However, his efficiency and production dipped in 2024, and he now enters the upcoming season fresh off ACL and MCL tears.
Aiyuk’s 2023 season was remarkable. Finishing second for all receivers with an offensive grade of 92.3 and seventh in receiving yards (1,342) with only 101 targets is insane. On only 75 receptions, Aiyuk finished second in the NFL with 17.9 yards per reception.
Nobody doubts Aiyuk’s ability when fully healthy, but the real question becomes how long it will take him to round back into form following the injury, or even the worst-case scenario: will he ever round back into form? 2023 is a high bar to clear for any receiver, given the efficiency.
In case you were wondering, and I know you were, Deebo Samuel appears on the list at number 30.
Samuel hasn’t quite matched his 2021 form in recent seasons. That year, he earned a 90.2 overall grade as both a receiver and rusher, but his 72.1 receiving grade in 2024 marked a career low. Injuries have played a role, but with a fresh start in Washington, the bet here is on his talent ceiling.
The hope is that Ricky Pearsall can join next year’s list with a second-year leap in 2025, and Aiyuk can rise with a stellar bounce-back season.
