Defensive Coordinator Doubts 49ers Pick, Former Gators Star Ricky Pearsall

Former Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. An opposing defensive coordinator has his doubts.

Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers 1st Round Pick / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Former Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall saw his stock soar during the pre-draft process heading into the NFL Draft. He was a standout at the Reese's Senior Bowl in January, and then he put on a show at the NFL Combine.

Most considered him a top-50 pick heading into the draft, but the San Francisco 49ers opened a few eyes when they selected him in the first round with the No. 31 overall pick.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg questioned 23 college coaches about the draft. Pearsall was a polarizing selection.

"When I asked coaches to identify potential sleepers entering the NFL draft, Ricky Pearsall's name came up a lot, as the Florida wide receiver drew mixed reviews," wrote Rittenberg on ESPN+. "Pearsall, who had 965 receiving yards on 65 catches for the Gators last fall, went at No. 31 to the San Francisco 49ers."

"The Pearsall pick, other than the Penix pick, might have been the oddest one to me," an opposing defensive coordinator told Rittenberg. "He's a solid receiver. We didn't have to game-plan for him. His routes at times were just OK. He would do a lot of dancing and get off target. Some of the throws that [Graham] Mertz missed ... were on lack of route detail by Pearsall. That one shocked me."

While no names were mentioned, Pearsall had just one catch for 17 yards against Florida State and three catches for 34 yards against Vanderbilt.

If route running and footwork are the biggest complaints against Pearsall, that's a good problem for the 49ers to have. Those traits are arguably the easiest to fix if the player has natural athletic ability.

What they can't coach are Pearsall's fantastic hands, 42-inch vertical leap or his 6.64 3-cone. His vertical and 3-cone marks were second-best at the combine regardless of position.

No one doubts 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's ability to make use of his skill players on offense. Pearsall is heading to a good situation in San Francisco and should quickly justify his lofty draft position despite doubts from an anonymous defensive coordinator.