Ricky Pearsall’s NFL journey has already been shaped by bad luck, but CBS Sports still sees a player worth betting on.
In Zachary Pereles’ 2024 NFL redraft, the former Florida wideout climbs from the back end of the first round all the way to No. 23 overall, where he lands with the Jacksonville Jaguars instead of the 49ers taking him at No. 31. That means Jacksonville passes on former LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in this version, while Thomas instead goes No. 14 overall to the New Orleans Saints.
Pearsall’s rookie year got off to a brutal start when he was the victim of an attempted robbery in central San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2024.
He suffered a gunshot wound, was seriously wounded and spent roughly 24 hours hospitalized. The 49ers made it clear they would not rush him back, and general manager John Lynch explained the team’s thinking at the time.
"Ultimately we decided that the best thing for Ricky was to have a little bit of time," 49ers general manager John Lynch said. "He's going to need that time physically.
He's going to need that time emotionally, mentally. We made that decision.
When we drafted Ricky, we did it for the long term. Ricky is going to be a fantastic player here.
He's eager. He was disappointed but understood that we put him on that list and what that entails."
Even with that setback, Pearsall still got on the field as a rookie and flashed enough to keep the optimism intact. He played in 11 games and made four starts, finishing with 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. His 2025 season was interrupted by injuries as well, limiting him to nine games, all starts, with a career-high 528 receiving yards and no touchdowns.
That’s why expectations are still high heading into his third pro season. The talent has been obvious whenever Pearsall has been healthy enough to show it, and CBS’ redraft reflects that belief.
Pereles pointed to Pearsall’s injury luck as a major reason for the hypothetical jump, noting that the chest shot before his rookie season is part of a run of misfortune that may have kept him from an even bigger NFL start. In the redraft scenario, those issues don’t happen in Jacksonville, and Pearsall gets the kind of clean runway that has been hard to find so far. When he’s been available, he has delivered the kind of plays that make you stop and watch.
The Jaguars’ original pick, Brian Thomas Jr., has been productive through his first two regular seasons, appearing in 31 games and piling up 1,989 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown in the postseason this past season. But in CBS Sports’ redo, Thomas is already off the board before Jacksonville is on the clock.
Pearsall’s college resume helps explain why he remains such an intriguing name. After transferring from Arizona State to Florida before the 2022 season, he became one of the Gators’ most reliable playmakers over two years. He finished with 98 receptions for 1,626 yards and nine touchdowns, while also adding 175 rushing yards and three rushing scores.
His best season came in 2023, when he caught 65 passes for 965 yards, falling just 35 yards short of becoming Florida’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2002.
The pre-draft process only strengthened his stock. Pearsall stood out at the Senior Bowl and then impressed at the NFL Combine, where his 4.41-second 40-yard dash was the 10th-fastest among receivers and his 42-inch vertical jump ranked third at the position. He also looked sharp in other drills and pass-catching work, showing off the steady hands and smooth route running that helped him rise.
Billy Napier summed up that growth after Pearsall’s one-handed grab through traffic against Charlotte on Sept. 23.
"He's bigger than you think," former Florida head coach Billy Napier said on Sept. 23, the night Pearsall made a stunning one-handed grab through traffic against Charlotte. "He's more explosive than you think.
He came back to improve his stock for the draft, and he's doing it. Not to mention the leadership and the character that he brings every day, the work habits.
Ricky is a very effective player because he's highly skilled. He can get open at the line.
He can separate at the top of the route, and he's got fantastic ball skills and hand selection."
Pearsall’s path to Florida included a spring transfer from Arizona State before the 2022 season, and he initially made an immediate impression in Gainesville before a foot injury slowed him in the lead-up to that year. He later said that injury affected him throughout the season.
Even before the NFL, Pearsall had already spent plenty of time dealing with difficult breaks. He never topped 700 receiving yards in a college season for reasons largely outside his control, and that history is part of why his professional arc has felt so unfinished.
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