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The San Francisco 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round. Is he a starting wide receiver? Where should you draft Ricky Pearsall in rookie drafts?
Projected as a Day 2 pick, the San Francisco 49ers shocked the world by selecting Florida product Ricky Pearsall at the end of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After playing five seasons of college football, Pearsall joins one of the most loaded groups of skill position players in the NFL.
Pearsall will be experienced at 24 years old by the time his rookie season kicks off, but Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle currently stand in his path as he seeks targets early in his professional career.
Should you be drafting Ricky Pearsall in fantasy football? Let’s break his profile down.
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Ricky Pearsall NFL Rookie Profile
Team: San Francisco 49ers
College: Arizona State/Florida
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 189
Age: 23 (9/9/2003)
Arm Length: 30 7/8"
Hand Size: 9 1/4"
2022 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 31
Arizona State Production
Ricky Pearsall started his collegiate career at Arizona State in 2019 after committing as a three-star recruit. He played a limited role as a freshman and sophomore as players like Brandon Aiyuk and Rachaad White took most of the touches, but he formed a connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels in his junior season and led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
| Arizona State 2021 | Receptions | Rec Yards | Yards/Gm | TDs |
| Ricky Pearsall | 48 | 580 | 44.6 | 4 |
| Rachaad White | 43 | 456 | 41.6 | 1 |
| LV Bunkley-Shelton | 33 | 418 | 38.0 | 2 |
Following his breakout 2021 season, Pearsall transferred to Florida where he had two remaining seasons of eligibility.
Florida Production
Pearsall teamed up with Anthony Richardson in 2022 to again lead his receiving room in yards and touchdowns. He put up an impressive 20 yards per catch in the process, recording 661 yards and five touchdowns on just 33 receptions. He also showcased his explosiveness on the ground, taking eight carries for 113 yards and a score.
| Florida 2022 | Receptions | Rec Yards | Yards/Gm | TDs |
| Ricky Pearsall | 33 | 661 | 50.8 | 5 |
| Justin Shorter | 29 | 577 | 64.1 | 2 |
| Xzavier Henderson | 38 | 410 | 41.0 | 2 |
His best season came in 2023 with Graham Mertz under center. Again leading the team, Pearsall eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored six touchdowns (two rushing).
| Florida 2023 | Receptions | Rec Yards | Yards/Gm | TDs |
| Ricky Pearsall | 65 | 965 | 80.4 | 4 |
| Eugene Wilson III | 61 | 538 | 53.8 | 6 |
| Arlis Boardingham | 26 | 289 | 32.1 | 4 |
While functioning the strongest as a slot receiver, Pearsall has the size, speed, and separation to line up all over the field. He was a highlight reel at Florida and while many were surprised by him going in the first round, those who watched his film in depth were not at all shocked despite the red flags surrounding his late breakout and late declaration.
Ricky Pearsall?!?!?!?!??? Omg. Catch of the year candidate pic.twitter.com/CCz85xi7Bx
— Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) September 23, 2023
Rookie Situation
At the time of this writing, the 49ers have not moved Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk. While rumors have been swirling regarding both star receivers, it appears more likely than not that they will both be in San Francisco in 2024. With that being the case, Pearsall’s 2024 fantasy upside is severely capped. He will operate as the third receiver in an offense that often only deploys two receivers on the field at a time. That is also pending that he can beat out Jauan Jennings, who has been an underrated piece in a limited role over the past three seasons.
That being said, Samuel has only played in every game in one of his five seasons. With his injury history, Pearsall could see an opportunity to thrive in the “Deebo role” and could be an eventual replacement once the 49ers move on from their star offensive weapon.
The 49ers lost the Super Bowl in part because some of their wide receivers struggle to win as route runners against man coverage.
You know who was great vs. man coverage in #ReceptionPerception? Ricky Pearsall. pic.twitter.com/4d6bxoh8lG
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) May 8, 2024
Samuel struggled to get separation in the Super Bowl, which is one of Pearsall’s strengths. While most of the smoke has been around Aiyuk being moved, Pearsall may have been drafted as more of a Deebo replacement than an Aiyuk replacement.
Ricky Pearsall Fantasy Football Outlook
In redraft leagues, Pearsall is a late-round dart throw if even drafted at all. He may not be worth drafting with how many mouths there are to feed in San Francisco and could be a waiver wire pickup in the event that Samuel goes down.
In rookie drafts, his ADP is currently in the early second round (2.02). Grabbing a first-round receiver in the second round of a rookie draft is always tough to pass up on, but with the depth of this draft class 2.02 feels a little steep for a player who may be better off as a taxi squad stash in year 1. The middle to end of the second round feels like the right spot to take a first-round receiver who will be a 24-year-old backup to start his career.
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