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49ers WR Ricky Pearsall is Struggling to Separate in Training Camp

Through 10 days of training camp, Pearsall's one elite skill hasn't translated to the NFL.

Grant Cohn

May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports
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Ricky Pearsall isn't the biggest wide receiver, or the fastest wide receiver, or the strongest wide receiver.

The reason the 49ers drafted him in Round 1 is because he's supposed to be a great route runner. That's what he was in college. He created lots of separation between him and defensive backs most of the time.

But that was college. And so far through 10 days of training camp, Pearsall's one elite skill hasn't translated to the NFL.

To be fair, Pearsall missed the first four days of camp with a hamstring injury, so he got a late start. His best football probably is in front of him. But when he participates in 11-on-11 team drills, he really struggles to beat press man-to-man coverage. Sometimes he'll make catches against this technique, but they're heavily contested catches. Which is concerning.

If Ambry Thomas can jam Pearsall at the line of scrimmage and stick with him throughout his route, what will happen when Pearsall faces starting-caliber cornerbacks?

We would know if the 49ers let Pearsall participate in 1-on-1 drills, but so far they've held him out of those. And they haven't explained why. It's possible they want to be careful with him considering he's coming off the hamstring injury. But if that's the case, why let him participate in 11-on-11s? Aren't those just as strenuous?

I'm guessing the 49ers are afraid that Pearsall will lose his matchups in 1-on-1s, and his losses will be a big story because he's a first-round pick.

Prove me wrong, 49ers.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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