CALIFORNIA, USA — The San Francisco 49ers selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
While he was widely viewed as a second-round pick in a deep group of receivers, the 49ers drafted Pearsall 31st overall. Pearsall is a former Florida Gators standout and one of a dozen receivers who was expected to be taken in the first two rounds.
If the name sounds familiar, it might be due to his one-handed catch against Charlotte last September in the Swamp. It brought fans to their feet and became an internet sensation minutes later.
“A lot of people actually, like, know me for the catch,” Pearsall said recently. “That’s it. So I’m like, ‘You guys got to watch the tape. There’s more than just that one catch.’ I’ve made a lot of catches, I feel like. But, yeah, a lot of people bring it up.”
Pearsall covered the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the combine, tying him for 10th among receivers. He led the position group in the three-cone drill and ranked third with a 42-inch vertical jump. He put up 17 reps on the bench press (225 pounds), which tied him for sixth, and nearly reached 11 feet in the broad jump.
Pearsall finished his senior year with 65 receptions for 965 yards and four touchdowns, falling short of becoming the first Florida receiver since Taylor Jacobs in 2002 to reach the 1,000-yard milestone.
He ended up with 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns in five seasons, the first three at Arizona State. He also ran for five scores and threw a TD pass.
This was the first time the Niners had a pick in the first round since 2021 when they drafted quarterback Trey Lance third overall. San Francisco traded their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to move up nine spots that year to take Lance, who started only four games for the 49ers before being traded to Dallas last August.
San Francisco held on to both of its star receivers, Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, for now despite speculation that they might be willing to trade one of them to move up in the draft. The Niners still need to sign Aiyuk to a long-term deal as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
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