Brandon Aiyuk has created the San Francisco 49ers’ biggest problem since the Super Bowl and in what is likely not a coincidence, the team has drafted Ricky Pearsall. When the pick was announced, the ABC NFL draft broadcast caught one fan’s shock and disdain at the choice.
In an article on 49ers Wire, analyst Kyle Madson appeared to echo a calmer but seemingly similar stance. He writes that Pearsall needs to be a “high volume target” to justify being taken in the first, and that “there’s a lot of risk though given his relatively low ceiling.”
This places plenty of pressure on Pearsall’s shoulders to deliver in the fall. Considering he could become the replacement for fan-favorite Brandon Aiyuk, costing the team a first-round pick for a lesser result could become a talking point.
While other lower draft picks arriving after a player’s departure may receive more patience from fans, pre-emptively drafting a player before a fan-favorite potentially leaves is a recipe for pressure.
Brandon Aiyuk’s potential successor serves as Rorschach test for fans
Some prospects offer a college stat line that is objectively impressive compared to others, however, many come with red flags. Ricky Pearsall appears to fit into the latter category.
As such, some fans point to his unimpressive production with the Arizona State Sun Devils as cause for concern. In three years, he managed to produce more than 500 yards just once. Then, as soon as he earned a career-high following back-to-back seasons of 128 and 86 yards respectively, he changed teams.
However, once he did, he gave fans reason to believe in him. From 2020, until his final season, his production improved year-over-year until 2023. In 2023, he earned 965 yards and four receiving touchdowns.
In other words, he found a way to get better consistently. If that carries into the NFL, he will eventually produce at a number-one receiver level. That said, for the naysayers, his low ceiling in the college indicates that he will never match Brandon Aiyuk’s 1,342 yards earned in 2023.
Will the doubted Ricky Pearsall make Brandon Aiyuk backers eat their words?
