Aiyuk believes Gray will grow for 49ers, despite low snap count

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SANTA CLARA -- Brandon Aiyuk believes that even though 49ers rookie Danny Gray isn't playing much right now, he's still in the perfect situation to develop into a key NFL player.

Aiyuk, now a veteran in the 49ers' receiver room, understands the growing pains Gray is experiencing, and shared Monday why he believes the SMU product is in a better situation than he was as a rookie in 2020.

“I look at the stuff they are telling him, and it’s frustrating for them, and you know why,” Aiyuk told NBC Sports Bay Area. “It takes until you see somebody else going through it, before you realize you just have no idea.

“I talk to him, and we’ve had good conversations, letting him know that he is in a good spot."

Gray, a third-round draft pick this year, has suited up for five of the 49ers' eight games and been on the field for just 33 offensive snaps, but he has yet to make a catch on six targets. The 23-year-old has been focusing on the details in order to earn more playing time, but Aiyuk sees it more from of a coach’s point of view now: Everything you do on the field -- no matter how small -- matters.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan explained last week what he needs to see out of Gray.

"He's just got to continue to be more consistent, be able to do everything down in and down out," Shanahan said. “You never know what plays you're going to be in there on.

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"It can’t just be stuff that exactly fits your skill set," Shanahan added. "You got to be able to block, you got to be able to run the other routes, you got to know where to line up. Just all the things that rookies go through that just has to make it more consistent to beat out some of the guys that are in front of him."

Aiyuk believes it actually will be better for Gray in the long run that the 49ers haven’t needed him to play. Now, with a chance to develop and learn, he'll be more set up for long-term success.

"I feel like it's better for him because my rookie year, I came in and I had to play," Aiyuk said. "We didn’t really have anyone, we were injured. I didn't really get to get that treatment, so it happened to me later on, which kind of sucked. For him to go through it and have it happen now, then the rest of the way, you have a good foundation, and you can be you the rest of the way.”

Aiyuk burst onto the scene as a rookie, and led the 49ers with 60 catches for 748 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games, but that also was a product of his environment. Deebo Samuel was battling back from an offseason foot injury and appeared in just seven games, which forced Aiyuk into action alongside Kendrick Bourne, who's now with the Patriots.

RELATED: What 49ers' Gray is focused on to prepare when opportunity knocks

"For me, it was different because when I came, we had young guys," Aiyuk said. “We are still young, but we didn’t really have people like Deebo. He was still Deebo, but he was still trying to figure it out himself. He was in his second year, and I was in my first."

Gray is being patient, staying locked in on the details, waiting for his time. Aiyuk has no doubt that time will be soon.

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