Ricky Pearsall NFL Draft Preview
Post-Draft Fantasy Impact
Ricky Pearsall was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 31st pick of the NFL draft. This draft pick seems to be a move toward the future and a good contingency plan if Aiyuk ends up leaving or an injury hits another player.
Pearsall is an incredible talent and will be a force for years to come on this San Francisco team, but let’s pump the brakes for this year and potentially next. He’s an excellent route runner and can move in and out of cuts with ease. He can run darn near any route you ask him to and won’t drop many passes. However, you should stay away from Pearsall in all redraft league formats.
Ricky Pearsall holds a decent amount of dynasty value, but it is still hard to project when he consistently sees the field. He’s a solid hold in all dynasty formats, but it’s going to stink when you have to burn a bench spot on a player that really won’t have much production. Will I be looking to see if someone wants to pay a premium for him for what he could be? Sure.
The bottom line is, that’s the choice. For a win-now team, trade him. If you’re rebuilding, you could do much worse than Pearsall as your future #2 receiver.
Ricky Pearsall NFL Draft Preview
We all love seeing players declaring for the draft early. It shows that you are at the top of your game and can produce for that extra year. It’s not ideal for seniors to enter the NFL draft with many underclassmen, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that with Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall had his breakout in 2023 (his 2nd year with Florida after transferring from Arizona State), with 65 receptions for 965 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Pearsall is, unfortunately, the victim of entering the NFL draft with what could be the best wide receiver draft we have ever seen (2014 and 2022 are hard to beat). He is a great player, but often gets overlooked because of all of the high-end talent that is in this draft.
Pearsall is projected to be an average NFL starter and I would expect to see him going in the 3rd round. This should be a higher-round pick, but we see prospects get over or under-drafted all the time. However, Pearsall is better than this draft capital would suggest and could very well be one of the better value picks in 2024. Pearsall is a multi-year production player as he led Florida in receiving in both 2022 and 2023. While his stats may not jump off the page for 2022, he still led the team. You must also remember that Florida was going through a transitional period and had a mobile quarterback that year. Again, in 2023, his stats aren’t exactly eye-popping but we always talk about wanting multi-year production from guys and this is just another example of a long line of players.
Measurables
- 6’1”, 189 lbs.
- 40-yard dash – 4.41 seconds
- Vertical jump – 42″
- Broad jump – 10’9″
Positives
Athletically, Pearsall is darn near everything you are looking for in an NFL receiver. He is roughly the same size as fellow draft prospect Troy Franklin, just as fast, but is more athletically gifted when it comes to his vertical and broad jump. Now, these numbers are arbitrary, but I do find it rather interesting how similar he is to Franklin. Pearsall has soft hands and is reliable when it comes to catching the ball as he rarely has drops. His body control and footwork is exceptional and he uses it to his advantage when it comes to his route running. He can sink his hips and utilize various jab steps to throw corners off and get open. He has elite speed and it shows on tape as he can really pop when it comes to his RAC ability.
Negatives
Unfortunately, Ricky Pearsall isn’t the most physical receiver. When it comes to contested catches, Pearsall is often outmuscled and will lose out on jump balls to more aggressive defenders. This isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it forces him to create a decent amount of separation in order to haul in catches. Pearsall also had a lot of his production against zone coverage which makes sense if he isn’t very physical. If he can’t win against press corners, he is going to have a rough time in the NFL. While Pearsall is supremely athletic, his catch radius is rather small for what you’d expect of someone as talented as him.
Grade – C+
Ricky Pearsall will be a good NFL starter, but I don’t envision him being a #1 option, he can be a team’s go-to #2 receiver, but he will need to improve in his physicality for that to happen. The athleticism is there and you know this guy is going to work hard, but the effort and time has to be put in before he makes that jump. Now, he could go to a wide receiver-needy team and immediately feel a missing void, but I don’t envision it happening that quickly. He will likely come on as a team’s 3rd receiver and then work his way into more sets and formations when coaches and players see how talented he truly is. This might be another case of a wait-and-see type of guy if you are drafting him in fantasy. Make sure you have a spot to stash him because I am envisioning more of a year 2 breakout than a set-it-and-forget-it day 1 starter.
Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, by way of Cincinnati, Ohio, this diehard Kansas City Chiefs, Michigan Wolverines, and Cincinnati Reds fan is dedicated to fantasy sports. Constantly touted as “obsessed” by friends and family members, Anthony likes to think it’s just a dedicated hobby. For over a decade now, Anthony has played in and commissioned many different types of leagues but prefers the confines of dynasty. Outside of fantasy sports, Anthony is a school counselor at a local elementary school who loves reading, biking, rollerblading, doing puzzles, and pretty much anything with his beautiful wife.
