49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Immediate impact may be limited
Rotowire
Pearsall may not see the field often as a rookie after being drafted by the 49ers, who have three starting wideouts returning for 2024, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
San Francisco's selection of Pearsall at the tail end of the first round of the 2024 Draft came as a bit of a surprise, both in terms of draft slot and roster needs, as Pearsall was mostly projected as a Day 2 pick rather than Day 1. Perhaps the front office drafted the Florida product with an eye on next offseason, at which point Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings are expected to hit free agency and Deebo Samuel will be entering the final year of his contract. Pearsall is an explosive talent with a good chance to put up fantasy-worthy numbers at some point during his career; it just may not happen right off the bat in a loaded 49ers offense.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: San Francisco surprise at 31st pick
Rotowire
The 49ers selected Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 31st overall.
This pick was very much unexpected and certainly won't do anything to quiet the trade rumors surrounding both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. The 49ers presumably wouldn't pick Pearsall in the first round to play the function of the WR3 role in San Francisco; they use the fullback position too much to make it worth it. Regardless of what the 49ers' front office might be up to, Pearsall is a very likable prospect out of Florida (and Arizona State before that). Pearsall (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) was an above-baseline producer for Florida and Arizona State on target shares in the low-20 percents, which are generally figures that imply WR2 or WR3 utility at the next level. Even if he's not a WR1, there's reason to think Pearsall can be uniquely explosive with WR2-type usage, especially after he dominated the combine with a 4.41-second 40, 42-inch vertical, 129-inch broad jump and 6.64-second three-cone drill.
