It was a bit unexpected that the 49ers selected receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall selection, but they had excellent justification. They drafted him for this reason.
Nobody predicted that a wide receiver would be selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The majority of mock drafts featured an offensive line, with a few mocks featuring cornerbacks thrown in. However, the 49ers selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with selection No. 31, defying most mock draft predictions. Pearsall participated in 38 games over his three years at the University of Florida. Both outside and in the slot, he had 147 catches for 2,212 yards and 13 touchdowns.
It’s interesting to note that Pearsall never had a season with 1,000 receiving yards, so why did the 49ers feel they had to have him? The 49ers selected Pearsall in the first round for reasons explained by Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan remarked, “He just plays the position real well.” He can separate beneath and down the field, regardless of whether he was inside, outside, or at one of the three receiver positions. He is incredibly intelligent, quite well-developed, and has pretty amazing hands. You can tell he’s a gym rat or something because he’s clearly put in a lot of hours and worked on his routes; you can see it on camera, and there’s not really anything he can’t accomplish. He can play any part that the other people play.

The drafting of Pearsall appeared to be a stretch at first. The majority of draft gurus predicted that he will be selected in the second round of the draft. In order to obtain some draft capital and then choose him, the 49ers may have traded down at least a few spots. Nevertheless, they decided to choose him in the first round. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Pearsall’s talent is in question. He is undoubtedly a good player.

But value is everything in the NFL draft, and Pearsall felt a touch too rich at pick No. 31 at the time. It also appeared like a lost chance to profit, since the 49ers could have utilised additional picks to revamp their squad. However, there is good reasoning for the 49ers behind it.
To begin with, the 49ers receive the fifth-year option on Pearsall’s rookie contract if they choose him in the first round. Given that wide receiver isn’t a long-term fixture for the 49ers, having that option alone is crucial.

Both Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk are essentially on one-year contracts. It would be difficult to see Jennings coming back in 2025, and Aiyuk is presently awaiting a contract extension should the 49ers pursue one. Regarding Samuel, if the 49ers decide to part ways with him, it will be simpler to terminate his contract with minimal repercussions.

The 49ers most likely selected Pearsall for this reason. He resembles Samuel more than Aiyuk does. He is versatile enough to play gadget roles as well as outside. Now that he has the ball in his hands, Samuel is the superior player, but Pearsall outplays him in man-to-man coverage and as a route runner.
According to Shanahan, “he still has the 40 to get on top of people on the outside, which is where that starts a little bit.” To intimidate people in a go route, you really only need to threaten them with that. You can split apart on the other paths if you can accomplish that, but he can enter and exit his break quite easily. Despite his small stature, he nevertheless has a strong frame that allows him to tackle any side or length of corner. All of our receivers, then, who engage in outside play also engage in indoor play. Thus, we sort of want for a multifaceted man.

Nobody anticipated that the 49ers would select a wide receiver in the first round. It does, however, suggest that they are searching for more skilled route runners to set Brock Purdy up for a successful passing game.

For many years to come, the relationship between Pearsall and Purdy will be fascinating to watch.