The Washington Commanders have a host of needs heading into the NFL draft next week, not the least of which is wide receiver.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report earlier this week dubbed DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers as cut and/or trade candidates heading into, during and/or after the draft, which runs from Thursday, April 23 through April 25.
Both are established go-to pass-catchers who could fill in alongside Terry McLaurin as No. 2 options and potentially replace him as the go-to WR for Jayden Daniels in the coming seasons.
“If Lynch takes a receiver within the first two rounds, he may already have a trade lined up for Aiyuk or is prepared to cut him,” Moton wrote. “Remember, at the end of the 2025 season, he told reporters that the 28-year-old wideout played his last snap with the team.”
Moton’s take on Metcalf is more convoluted, as he implied the Steelers voided the wideout’s guarantees following an incident with a fan during a game against the Detroit Lions last season. Moton wrote that Pittsburgh had voided Metcalf’s guaranteed money moving forward after inking him to a four-year deal extension worth $132 million that runs through 2029.
However, while the Steelers had the option to void those guaranteed dollars, the team chose not to do so.
“The Steelers have a strong track record of drafting wide receivers,” Moton wrote. “They’re more likely to trade Metcalf rather than go through a lengthy post-draft negotiation process with his camp.”
Despite coming to his conclusion on incorrect information, Moton’s notion of Pittsburgh considering a trade for Metcalf still holds merit, as the team is not set at the quarterback position moving forward.
Steelers Have 2 Pricey Wide Receivers, No Longterm Answer at Quarterback
GettyPittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Aaron Rodgers may return to the Steelers next season. However, if he does so, it will likely be on a one-year contract as he enters his age-43 campaign.
Pittsburgh just traded with the Indianapolis Colts for Michael Pittman Jr. and then extended him on a two-year deal worth $35 million that keeps him under contract through 2028. It doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Steelers to move forward with two pricey receivers if they don’t know who will be throwing them the football over the next several campaigns.
That could create an opening for Washington to begin trade talks for Metcalf, while Aiyuk is a likely cut candidate if the 49ers can’t work out a deal for him ahead of next week’s draft.
Both players have been second-team All-Pro selections, and both could aid Daniels and McLaurin in what is otherwise a relatively barren receivers room.
Brandon Aiyuk Garnering Little Trade Interest Around NFL
GettySan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
There has been little to no trade action for Aiyuk, according to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, which means the Commanders can likely wait it out until San Francisco cuts him loose.
“Talking to people around the league, the name [Aiyuk] has not come up at all,” Jeremiah said, per KNBR. “So, that one — that’s a mystery.”
Pittsburgh dealt a second-round pick for Metcalf a year ago, who came up shy of 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight campaign.
He will play next season at 29 years old, so a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick might be a strong enough offer from the Commanders to pry Metcalf away from the Steelers, depending upon whether Pittsburgh drafts a pass-catcher later this month.
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