SANTA CLARA — Offensive players fell off NFL draft boards Thursday night, including one on the 49ers’ roster that still includes Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and all the other offensive starters from last season’s Super Bowl heartbreak.
Once their turn came at No. 31, the 49ers selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who thrived at Florida the past two seasons after starting his college career at Arizona State, where Aiyuk was his teammate in 2019.
“He does the things we want at the position well,” general manager John Lynch said. “And we think we have a very strong group there and we wanted to add another player. He’s really versatile and adds punt return value that we think will come in handy.
Pearsall appears to be the best slot receiver in a corps that, so far, includes Aiyuk, Samuel, Jauan Jennings and the recently re-signed Trent Taylor.
Lynch nor coach Kyle Shanahan have ruled out a trade in the coming days. Lynch reiterated the 49ers’ desire to extend Aiyuk, who is expected to play up his fifth-year team option for $14 million, half the market price for a top-tier receiver. Lynch said Aiyuk texted Shanahan and Lynch with a positive reaction about Pearsall.
“(Fire emoji) pick, I can’t lie,” Aiyuk texted, as Lynch read to the media at the post-draft podium.
“Great choice, he won’t let you down,” read the text former Arizona State coach Herm Edwards sent to Lynch.
The draft began with only offensive players selected in the first 14 picks. The 49ers’ offensive choice was made without the same pressing concerns that engulf their NFL challengers.
After all, the Niners got their franchise quarterback two years ago in Brock Purdy, but with the 262nd and final pick. Additionally, the 49ers have every other offensive starter under contract from last season, when they generated the second-most yards and third-most points en route to the Super Bowl, where they were dominated 25-22 in overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pearsall (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) joins a franchise that is coming off an overtime loss in the Super Bowl, but is still poised to return to that championship stage on Feb. 9, when Super Bowl LIX is played at the New Orleans. Over the past five seasons, the 49ers have reached the Super Bowl twice and the NFC Championship Game four times.
Pearsall is a Phoenix native and grew up in suburban Chandler, near Purdy’s hometown of Queen Creek. After attending Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Pearsall attended Arizona State for three seasons before transferring to Florida the last two seasons.
Pearsall’s contact courage won over the 49ers, especially Shanahan, who complimented Pearsall’s versatility, ability to separate, speed (4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash), intelligence and “gym rat” character.
“There is not a single room where we see him refuse something. You see him pass through the middle. He’s not taking the easy way out,” Shanahan added. “He forces guys to tackle and he doesn’t try to go down.”
“He’s equipped to take those hits, almost like he likes the physicality,” Lynch added.
The 49ers called for a possible trade down, but they considered that a negligible compromise for what was being offered.
This draft saw seven wide receivers go in the first round, and three were selected in the top 10: Marvin Harrison Jr. (Arizona Cardinals, No. 4 overall), Malik Nabers (New York Giants, No. 6) and Rome Odunze. (Chicago Bear, No. 9). Brian Thomas went at No. 23 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Xavier Worthy went at No. 28 to the Chiefs, and the Carolina Panthers traded up to select Xavier Legette at No. 32, one spot after the 49ers opted to Pearsall.
“It’s a privileged position in our league right now. The ball gets thrown a lot,” Lynch said.
In addition to these wide receivers, the first round saw nine offensive linemen, six quarterbacks, five defensive ends, three cornerbacks, one defensive tackle and Napa tight end Brock Bowers among those selected before the selection of the 49ers at No. 31.
It was also the first draft since 2021, when quarterbacks took the top three picks: Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders) and Drake Maye (Patriots). Three more landed in the Top 12: Michael Penix (Falcons) stunningly at 8th overall, JJ McCarthy (Vikings) at 10th and Bo Nix (Broncos) at 12th.
Not only did this run on quarterbacks cause players at other positions to fall on draft boards, but it surely reminded the 49ers how peaceful it is to have Purdy, who has passed for a franchise record of 4,280 yards last season after surgery on his pitched elbow last March.
Unfortunately, the 49ers thought they had their man in 2021, last drafting in the first round and selecting quarterback Trey Lance 3rd overall. That spot cost them a Miami trade package involving first-round picks from 2021 to 2023. Lance followed Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Zach Wilson (Jets) out of the draft, then after two weak seasons, the 49ers took him sent to the Dallas Cowboys last August for a fourth-round pick.
The 49ers only made their initial pick in the previous two drafts in the second round in 2022 (defensive end Drake Jackson) and the third round last year (safety Ji’Ayir Brown). Other first-round picks since the arrival of coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017: defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (2017), linebacker Reuben Foster (2017), right tackle Mike McGlinchey (2018), defensive end Nick Bosa (2019), defensive end Javon Kinlaw (2020) and Aiyuk (2020).
Before this draft, the 49ers focused on retooling their defense: Nick Sorensen was promoted to defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley joined the coaching staff, then defensive end Leonard Floyd and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell were led a contingent of free agency arrivals.
In this draft, however, defenders were overlooked until Sacramento native Laiatu Latu was chosen at No. 15, with other defensive ends selected in subsequent alternating picks at Nos. 17, 19 and 21. The first defensive back on the board was Toledo’s cornerback. Quinyon Mitchell at #22.
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