Breaking down the 49ers drafting Florida WR Ricky Pearsall at No. 31

The 49ers surprised many, taking a receiver with their first-round pick.

The San Francisco 49ers shocked the world when they selected Florida Gators receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Pearsall, a 6’1, 190-pound receiver who put up 65 catches and 965 yards as a fifth-year senior in 2023, was the seventh and final wideout selected on Thursday night.

A former teammate of Brandon Aiyuk as a freshman at Arizona State, Pearsall now reunites with the star wideout, becoming the team’s first selection in the top round since 2021.

What kind of player is Pearsall and what does this selection mean for the 49ers?

Pearsall’s profile

Pearsall wowed at the 2024 NFL Combine in February, running a 4.41 40-yard dash, while recording a 42’’ vertical, 10’9’’ broad jump, 6.64 three-cone, and 4.05 20-yard shuttle. The short form: he’s an athlete.

On tape, Pearsall shined as a route runner, working well out of the slot, where he saw most of his opportunities, as he attacked defenders’ leverage before making his moves, while finding open space well in zones.

However, Pearsall’s initial burst (1.58 10-yard split) isn’t as fast as his 40-yard time may indicate, and he can be a little stiff coming out of breaks, although he does have good cuts as a route-runner.

Overall, Pearsall fits the 49ers’ mold of a receiver; he runs routes well, finds the open space against zones, is a good accelerator with the ball in his hands, is best when in motion with a running start, and can be a willing run blocker.

Additionally, the Florida product is an elite contested catcher, as his catch radius is huge, which is seen in his highlight reel, even though he has 30 7/8‘’ arms and 9 1/4‘’ hands.

But, the main detractor when it comes to his abilities is the struggles against press coverage. Pearsall isn’t a great separator when it comes to press, as defenders are able to slow him down by being physical, limiting his route-running abilities.

That was especially seen at the Senior Bowl against fellow first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, and could be a worry in the NFL.

Pearsall did see over 50 percent of his reps and production come in the slot against Florida, which could be his best role at the next level as a WR2/WR, but he has the flexibility to play on the outside as well.

Moreover, the 23-year-old has experience as a returner, which general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan shared as another factor in selecting the wideout.

Ultimately, I think Pearsall is a really good player and especially fits the 49ers, but his struggles against press concern me, especially after we saw Deebo Samuel get mitigated against man coverage in the Super Bowl, which was a key in the loss.

Ahead of the draft, I graded him as an early third-round selection, which equated to a mid-late 50s/early 60s player on my Big Board, but the fit could bump that up a few spots.

Pearsall seems like a good complementary piece to Brandon Aiyuk and should be productive at the next level, be it as a WR2 or a WR3.

Evaluating the pick

Now, as I shared above, Pearsall being selected at No. 31 was a shocker to many, myself included, with virtually zero mock drafts from insiders placing him in that spot in the days coming up to the draft.

As a player, Pearsall is certainly talented and should be a good wideout for the 49ers, but it does feel like a reach, given where he ranks among the rest of the receiver class, as well as with who was remaining on the board.

At No. 31, the 49ers had several options across a number of positions: receiver, offensive tackle, be it tackle or on the interior, cornerback, and defensive line all stood out.

Ultimately, San Francisco took a receiver, and one that fits there system well, but there were other players on the board, such as Texas’s Adonai Mitchell, Florida State’s Keon Coleman, and UCF’s Javon Baker, who all seemed like good fits with the team that had higher ceilings and similar floors.

Cornerback was an intriguing spot, as that position was one of a short few where the 49ers could’ve had a rookie immediately compete for a starting role. At No. 31, Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry, who I have as the top corner in the class, Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, and Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa were still available.

At defensive line, Illinois’s JerZhan Newton was a player still available, while BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, whom the 49ers were in the pre-draft process, could have been the selection as well.

Let’s say the 49ers didn’t like any of the players listed above. In terms of value, they could’ve looked for a trade back, with reports surfacing that several teams, such as the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans, were looking to move back into the first round. A move would’ve gained additional ammunition, while landing their preferred player at a more reasonable spot.

Now, again, Pearsall is not by any means a bad player; his fit with the 49ers stands out, and he should be a productive wideout in the NFL. It’s just the spot where he was taken at, which seems one round too early.

Additionally, the Florida wideout will be entering his age-24 season as a rookie, meaning that he’d be hitting his age-29 season by the time he reaches his second contract, assuming the fifth-year option is picked up.

Ultimately, I think the 49ers found themselves a good player who was just selected too early in the draft, which is something San Francisco has shown a tendency to do as they fall in love with players.

What it means for the 49ers

Now, we focus on Day 2 of the draft, where buzz has already heightened about the 49ers moving wideout Deebo Samuel after drafting Pearsall in exchange for a midround selection.

If you remember, back at the NFL Combine, I had shared that there was increasing buzz that San Francisco would shop Samuel this offseason, with talks beginning to surface. We’ll see if that ultimately comes to fruition on Friday.

Drafting Pearsall feels more like a complementary piece for Brandon Aiyuk, rather than Deebo Samuel, as the Florida wideout has more of a similar style to the latter, while the 49ers have remained adamant about an extension being the goal for the former.

However, if the 49ers do ultimately move Samuel this weekend, that would slot Pearsall into a starting role immediately, while potentially even opening up a receiver spot for the future, as Jauan Jennings is a free agent after the upcoming season.

San Francisco could add to their picks with an additional midround selection, helping them potentially add another wideout or get capital for a move up to select a player in either the second or third round.

I don’t expect the 49ers to take 10 or 11 players in this draft class, given how the talent depreciates in the later rounds, but they’ll need a partner willing to move back to execute a trade-up.

At receiver specifically, though, the selection of Pearsall and a potential trade of Samuel does reset the 49ers window at the position, as they’d be back to paying one top wideout instead of having to balance two big contracts with him and Aiyuk.

Additionally, the move provides flexibility for what San Francisco could do if they select another receiver, as Pearsall can play both inside and outside, while adding a talented player to the room that should help them compete in 2024.

Are the 49ers better in 2024 if they trade Samuel and start Pearsall? Probably not. But, it’s a short reset as they continue to compete this year, while the team would place a bigger emphasis on Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in the passing game.

Ultimately, though, the selection of Pearsall could now signify a new era in San Francisco, as we’ll see if the team ultimately moves one of their top receivers on Friday with the heightened trade talk.