49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is the common-sense choice for our No. 1 spot. He possesses a fantastic combination of talent, youth and upside, and he’s interested in pushing his way out of San Francisco.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that Aiyuk, who is seeking a new contract, has officially requested a trade

Schefter also noted that San Francisco has told interested teams that it has “no intention” of trading Aiyuk. Of course, that stance should be expected. The 49ers aren’t going to maximize Aiyuk’s trade value by telling teams they don’t want to keep him.

And Aiyuk does carry a lot of trade value. The 49ers probably won’t entertain any offer lower than first- and second-round draft picks—the package that Green Bay got for Davante Adams in 2022. Aiyuk doesn’t have Adams’ resume, but he’s also just 26 years old and coming off a 1,342-yard campaign.

If acquiring Aiyuk wouldn’t require also signing him to a massive extension—which it would—he might command multiple future first-round picks. It might anyway, especially if multiple teams engage in a bidding war.

The Steelers would provide a logical landing spot for Aiyuk for a couple of reasons. They’re looking to find a long-term answer at quarterback in either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields and have reportedly been looking for a veteran receiver to pair with budding star George Pickens.

“They’re going to add a wide receiver at some point between now and the trade deadline. That’s going to happen,” SportsLine’s Jason La Canfora told the In the Huddle podcast in June (h/t Noah Strackbein of FanNation).

The Steelers have just $15.9 million in cap space but could likely make a backloaded contract work.

The Patriots lead the NFL with $41.4 million in cap space and have an even bigger need at receiver. New England had arguably the league’s worst receiving corps last season and did little to improve it other than adding K.J. Osborn and rookie second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk.

The Patriots are looking to develop Drake Maye as their quarterback of the future and could use a proven No. 1 target of Aiyuk’s caliber.

Potential Landing Spots: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Projected Trade Value: 2025 First-Round Pick, 2025 Second-Round Pick, 2026 Fourth-Round Pick