Brandon Aiyuk, a receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, is still without the long-term deal he so much wants. A possible exchange has been proposed, but there has been little to no progress in the talks.

Although it is improbable prior to the draft, could a trade such to the one that saw A.J. Brown traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday during the first round of the draft?

NFL analyst Michael Lombardi discussed the challenge in accomplishing that on “The Pat McAfee Show,” pointing out that the 49ers aren’t receiving the same kind of talent in return:

“What receiver, at the 12th or 15th pick in the draft, are you going to acquire that is better than Aiyuk if you trade Aiyuk, say to the Colts? There’s got to be a name there. You need to mention someone who you can argue is either better or on par with AIYUK, even though our contract is less expensive. You can’t state that in this draft, in my opinion.”

What does the future hold for Brandon Aiyuk?

A contract extension is required because Brandon Aiyuk is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option, which is worth $14.1 million according to spotrac.com. It remains to be seen if Aiyuk pulls out of training camp, but it is certain that the 49ers will have to pay a price to keep the receiver in the lineup.

Although a trade has been floated as a possibility, Aiyuk is keen to remain in San Francisco. The 49ers’ desire to retain him at the amount he demands is what matters.

As Lombardi notes, the 49ers are unlikely to acquire a player as excellent as or better than Aiyuk in exchange for a top choice, so a trade in the draft is also probably out of the question.

It takes time to draft contracts, so even when things aren’t going well, that doesn’t mean they won’t move forward after that.

However, Brandon Aiyuk’s future in San Francisco is far from certain at this point.