Ricky Pearsall's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday that they signed first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to his four-year rookie deal. The 49ers now have all eight of their 2024 draft picks under contract before the start of training camp at the end of July. San Fran surprisingly selected Pearsall at the tail end of this year's NFL draft despite not training Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk leading up to the draft. While the 23-year-old is an intriguing option for fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper formats in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system, his playing time in his rookie year in 2024 is probably going to be limited as long as Samuel and Aiyuk stay healthy. The Florida alum would immediately become fantasy relevant in redraft leagues if Samuel or Aiyuk are injured or traded this season.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (undisclosed) is reportedly working through an injury and wearing a non-contact jersey at OTAs. However, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that his injury has not held him out of practice or slowed him down. That said, this should not be a concern for fantasy managers. "As was the case last week, Pearsall looked comfortable in the offense and caught several passes from Brock Purdy, including one at the sideline that Pearsall snagged in front of cornerback Isaac Yiadom, who had close coverage," Barrows wrote. The former Arizona State and Florida wideout was selected with the No. 31 overall pick in April's 2024 NFL Draft, and although he lands in a great offense, it's tough to find a path toward consistent production in 2024. As of now, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel remain on the roster, and the organization re-signed Jauan Jennings to a two-year extension on Wednesday. Pearsall is likely best served as a dynasty-league stash for rebuilding teams.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has generated significant optimism throughout the beginning of OTAs. According to David Lombardi of The Athletic, Pearsall "looked good, caught several passes, and generated some real separation" during 7-on-7 work Tuesday. A first-round pick out of the University of Florida, Pearsall primarily caught passes from No. 1 quarterback Brock Purdy on Tuesday, suggesting the rookie could at least have some sort of role on offense in 2024. Fantasy managers can take a flier on him in dynasty leagues, but he's just too hard to trust in redraft formats at the moment.

With San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings on the roster, The Athletic's Matt Barrows and David Lombardi write that it's hard to envision rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall having a bi role in his rookie campaign in 2024. Pearsall can also return punts, but so does veteran Trent Taylor and fourth-rounder Jacob Cowing, so Pearsall will have to beat them both out to return punts this year. However, if there are any injuries to Aiyuk, Samuel or Jennings, Pearsall could be a major factor in San Fran's offense. The selection of the young receiver late in the first round seemed to be more of a pick for 2025 than for this year. Pearsall will probably need a year to adjust to the demands of the position, so he'll merely be a late-round flier for fantasy managers in rookie-only dynasty drafts this fall.

The San Francisco 49ers selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. The 49ers have questions about their top three receivers in Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, with Aiyuk and Samuel being potential trade options during the draft, so the selection of the 23-year-old Pearsall makes sense for the organization. Pearsall tested very well at the scouting combine with a 42.5-inch vertical jump. He was an intriguing prospect to begin with and now gains some steam going to San Fran, especially if the Niners eventually trade one of Aiyuk or Samuel. Pearsall is old for a rookie, but he can make plays all over the field and has strong hands and great body control. Depending on what happens with Aiyuk/Samuel, Pearsall could have some sleeper value in rookie-only fantasy drafts.