The San Francisco 49ers selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft.
The day began with speculation the 49ers could look to trade one of their top receivers — Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. They didn’t trade either of them — but did take one of Aiyuk’s former teammates in Pearsall, who started his college career at Arizona State and was teammates with Aiyuk there in 2019.
Pearsall, largely projected as a second-round pick, boasts some excellent short-area quickness metrics, which 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has long coveted for his inside receiving positions. And Pearsall has been a steady punt returner in college — and the 49ers have also been looking for a solution at that position.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Pearsall ranked No. 45 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
A two-year starter at Florida, Pearsall was schemed across the formation in head coach Billy Napier’s offense, doing most of his work (62 percent) from the slot. After three seasons at Arizona State, including time spent learning from Aiyuk in 2019, he moved on to Florida in 2022 and had a career season in ’23, leading the Gators in receiving. With his play speed and footwork, Pearsall earned the nickname “Slick Rick” because of the rhythmic movements he uses to shake free in his routes or make a defender miss in the quick game. Though he can be outmuscled at times versus press or at the top of routes, he has Velcro hands and never shies from attacking throws that lead him into impending contact. Overall, Pearsall wasn’t a home run hitter on tape, but he is a reliable receiving option with the route quickness and ball skills to quickly become a favorite target for an NFL quarterback. He has the skill set and toughness to work inside or outside and return punts at the next level.
Why he’s a first-round pick
Pearsall was Florida’s leading receiver over the past two seasons, including a career-high 65 catches for 965 yards as a senior in 2023.
According to reporters on hand, including The Athletic’s Brugler, Pearsall stood out in the Senior Bowl in one-on-one and 11-on-11 scenarios. The 49ers no doubt also received positive reviews from former Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards, who talked up Aiyuk to John Lynch and the 49ers before the 2020 draft.
OH MY!!!! WHAT A CATCH @S1ickSzn 😳
💻 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/4zzupSxOfJ
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 23, 2023
Scott Dochterman grades the pick
This feels like either a reach or an insurance policy in case Aiyuk ends up getting dealt. Pearsall will make some tough catches and could wind up running plenty of interior routes alongside tight end George Kittle. A five-year veteran with three seasons at Arizona State and his final two at Florida, Pearsall (6-1, 189) has built a reputation for his toughness and ability to haul in difficult catches. Last year with the Gators, Pearsall caught 65 balls for 965 yards (14.8 yards per catch) and four scores. As a junior, Pearsall averaged 20.0 yards per catch (33-661) with five scores. At the combine, Pearsall ran a 4.41-second 40 and had a 42-inch vertical jump.
Grade: B-
How he fits
Pearsall joins a loaded 49ers offense featuring Aiyuk, Samuel, Kittle, Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings. There certainly isn’t a shortage of weapons here, but there definitely are some questions about the longer-term future of the group. Aiyuk, who wants a long-term contract extension, has been the subject of trade rumors, and so has Samuel. An acute need for more weapons may be here sooner than many expect.
For now, Pearsall fits into an inside receiver role that’ll pair with quarterback Brock Purdy’s precise short and intermediate game.
Rookie impact
If the 49ers field the full assortment of weapons listed above, there shouldn’t be huge pressure on Pearsall to immediately deliver big production for them. And that’s probably a good thing considering young receivers have generally needed time to acclimate to Shanahan’s very particular offense.
Perhaps Pearsall can focus on punt return duties to begin his career. He didn’t muff a single punt after taking over that job at Florida.
Depth-chart impact
The 49ers recently brought back Trent Taylor, a slot receiver and punt returner originally with them from 2017 to 2020. Taylor signed a veteran minimum contract with no guaranteed money, a sign that he was simply insurance for the punt return spot in case the 49ers couldn’t find an upgrade that could also crack the receiver rotation in the draft.
With Pearsall aboard, it’s much harder to see Taylor making the 49ers’ 53-man roster. Pearsall is a younger, more explosive slot receiver — and the 49ers have invested a first-round pick in him.
They also could have picked …
Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton, Oregon offensive lineman Jackson-Powers Johnson and West Virginia center Zach Frazier were all still on the board when the 49ers picked Pearsall.
The 49ers still have nine picks, and they’ll reconvene Friday for the second round. Expect them to target the offensive line and cornerback at some point down the road of this draft.
Fast evaluation
This pick does come as a surprise, mostly because Pearsall was a lesser-known commodity than some of the draft’s big-name receivers. But it’s not hard to see a potential fit for Pearsall with the 49ers given how well he moves — he clocked a 4.41 40-yard dash and 6.64 three-cone drill at the NFL Scouting Combine.
(Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)