Why the 49ers Haven't Let Ricky Pearsall Participate in 1-on-1 Drills

He stands and watches while the rest of the players compete, which is highly unusual.

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

SANTA CLARA -- Ricky Pearsall has practiced with no restrictions during positional drills and 11-on-11 team drills.

But the team hasn't let him participate in 1-on-1 drills so far. He stands and watches while the rest of the players compete, which is highly unusual.

On Monday, I asked wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson why Pearsall hasn't done 1 on 1s yet. Here's what Hankerson said.

Q: How has Ricky Pearsall adapted here since he has gotten back in practice?

HANKERSON: "It's always a transition for guys coming in from college with the dynamic of the offense, lot of great details in this scheme, and he has been doing an awesome job working. He started behind a little bit with the hamstring injury, but he has been doing an awesome job. I love his mentality and his work ethic. He always wants to be coached. He always wants to go out there and win. But I tell him it's a transition period of him. I struggled a little bit myself when I got drafted. I'm not saying he's struggling. What I'm saying is there's always going to be a curve where he has to learn. That doesn't mean he's not doing well. That means we have to go out there and work to perfect the craft. He's working and I appreciate the efforts he's putting in."

ME: He seems to be working with no limitations in 11 on 11s. In 1 on1s, he hasn't participated yet. Why is that?

HANKERSON: "That has been my call. It's for the long haul. We've done 1 on 1s twice now, and whatever he would have done last week in 1 on 1s wouldn't dictate what happens in the future. But I've been limiting him because I want him for the long haul. I want him to continue to grow and not have any setbacks. If you look at it, in 11 on 11s you're getting a ton of 1 on 1 reps."

ME: So you don't want to throw him into the deep end right away?

HANKERSON: "Correct. Any time one of our guys comes off an injury, we have to build them up. We always talk about building the mountain. You can't get in and start with 100 reps especially when you've missed four practices. You have to start small and build it up. We've been building him up and we'll see what happens tomorrow."

MY TAKE: Pearsall is struggling. That's why the 49ers don't feel he's ready to compete in 1-on-1 drills. They're worried he could have a mental setback if he loses a rep to Ambry Thomas or Samuel Womack in front of the media and the fans. They prefer to him participate in 11 on 11s so he can hide when he loses a rep. That being said, it sounds like they plan to let him participate in 1 on 1s tomorrow. Let's see what happens.