Although Ricky Pearsall was largely expected to be a second-round pick, the 49ers saw something in him to use their first-round pick to draft him No. 31 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
And they weren’t the only ones who saw the potential of the Florida product.
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he hopes Pearsall will be available to the Ravens “at some point” during the draft. He was surprised when the 49ers secured him in the opening round — one pick after Baltimore selected cornerback Nate Wiggins.
“It was a great choice. I give those guys a lot of credit,” DeCosta said.h/t Niners Nation). “I believed [Pearsall] He was a guy we could get behind who was a sleeper for us at one point. It wasn’t really a hot, hot name for the commodity. But that was someone else when I watched his game, he’s a very impressive player on tape.”
That sentiment was common throughout the rest of the league, as NFL executives, coaches and players spoke about the young receiver.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud went viral for his impassioned reaction to San Francisco’s selection of Pearsall, saying he “wanted him so badly” in Houston.
Many others expected Pearsall to thrive in 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s system, especially with his unique route-running abilities.
“My versatility will help me,” Pearsall said on 95.7 The Game’s “Morning Roast” last week. “I think being able to play different positions and move me around will help me and give me different opportunities. Obviously, Coach Shanahan likes to move a lot of guys across the field, create matchups, create different looks, so I feel like I’m a guy that can do that.”
While many teams may have slept on the 23-year-old coming out of college, he will have a chance to prove them wrong — and DeCosta and those who believed in him right — when he reports for the 49ers’ rookie minicamp on Thursday.
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