An AFC executive thinks the 49ers want to use Ricky Pearsall similarly to this opposing receiver

Although Ricky Pearsall might not have been available when the 49ers selected him in the second round, originally at pick No. 63 overall,.

 

there are still concerns about whether he was worth the No. 31 overall selection and whether the club neglected other urgent needs. Was he really worthy of being selected as the sixth wide receiver in the draft? The answers will come in time.

Pearsall’s selection was recently called the biggest mystery of the 2024 NFL Draft by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who said, “Most teams I spoke to pegged him as a Day 2 pick.” Adding more depth to the offensive or defensive line made sense for the 49ers because they still have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk available.”

Examining the 32 draft classes in further detail, Fowler spoke with NFL

An NFC personnel evaluator told Fowler, “He can be a nice No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, a good player, but that was a bit of a reach, in my opinion.”

“They wanted a route runner like the Rams have in Puka [Nacua],” an AFC executive said, acknowledging Pearsall’s attraction. Perhaps you’ll see him in that same part.”

Nacua was selected to the Pro Bowl and named to the second team of the All-Pro team after putting up an outstanding 1,486 receiving yards in his rookie 2023 campaign.

Pearsall wasn’t seen as the same kind of threat by the other college defensive coordinator, who told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, “We didn’t have to game-plan for him.” His routes were mediocre at times. He would dance a lot and veer off course. Graham Mertz, the quarterback for Florida, missed a few throws because Pearsall failed to provide adequate route details.

While acknowledging that the 49ers have a history of optimizing talent, which is hard to argue against, Fowler also mentioned that evaluators from throughout the NFL thought the selection of cornerback Renardo Green in the second round was “a bit of a reach.”