Herm Edwards Says 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall Could Struggle vs. Press

If anyone understands what Pearsall needs to work on to excel in the NFL, it's Edwards.

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards walks the sidelines as his team plays the Eastern / Alex Gould/The Republic / USA TODAY

Not many coaches know Ricky Pearsall better than Herm Edwards does.

Edwards coached Pearsall for three years at Arizona State before he transferred to Florida. And during those three seasons in Tempe, Pearsall caught just 61 passes and scored a mere 7 touchdowns. He's a late bloomer.

So if anyone understands what Pearsall needs to work on to excel in the NFL, it's Edwards.

"All receivers struggle when they get to that level at the line of scrimmage when guys are pressed," Edwards said recently on 95.7 The Game when asked about Pearsall. "That's the hardest thing for receivers when they come in the league. I know that as a former corner. In the NFL, it's not like college football -- you ain't got a lot of time. One thousand one, one thousand two and better be open, partner. If not, I'm going the other way. And so you've got to get off press coverage."

TRANSLATION: He's not ready to play to X in the 49ers offense. That's Brandon Aiyuk's position because he's great at beating press coverage. So Pearsall will be better suited playing Z or in the slot because those positions line up a yard behind the line of scrimmage.

Edwards went on to praise Pearsall's strength, work ethic and willingness to block. "He's a good punt catcher," Edwards added. "He's not a dynamic return guy, but he's a safe guy to catch the ball."

Kind of a backhanded compliment. But if you know the 49ers, they're not looking for a dynamic return guy. They're looking for someone who won't muff a punt in the Super Bowl the way Ray Ray McCloud did.

The way Edwards describes Pearsall, he sounds like a taller, faster version of Trent Taylor, which isn't exactly what you want from a first-round pick. But remember, Pearsall didn't play much under Edwards, so Edwards must not think too highly of him.