A fourth and fifth first-round pick have signed their rookie deals.
The San Francisco 49ers inked first-round picks Javon Kinlaw Brandon Aiyuk to their four-year contracts, the team announced Friday, per a source informed on the situation. As with all rookie deals, the pacts come with a fifth-year team option.
Kinlaw and Aiyuk join quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and offensive tackle Austin Jackson as the only other first-rounders to sign their deals thus far.
As noted earlier this week, more than 180 draft picks remain unsigned just over a month before training camps are set to open due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Staring at a fiscal log-jam down the road along the defensive line, the Niners traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis earlier in the offseason in exchange for a first-round pick. The Niners used that No. 14 overall selection to snag Kinlaw, who they hope can grow into a replacement for Buckner.
Aiyuk, the No. 25 overall pick, was a scout favorite coming out of Arizona State with explosiveness and deep-threat ability. He was drafted in part to help replace veteran Emmanuel Sanders, who left in free agency. With the recent foot injury to Deebo Samuel, Aiyuk could see an even bigger role off the bat than originally planned.
