Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

16 hours ago

‘Freedom Week’: California Gun Owners Rush to Buy Ammo After Court Ruling

18 hours ago

Wall Street Selloff Sparked by Trump Tariffs, Amazon Results, Weak Payrolls

19 hours ago

US Construction Spending Extends Decline in June

19 hours ago

Global Shares in Red After US Jobs Data, Trump’s Tariff Salvo

19 hours ago

Construction of $200M Trump Ballroom at the White House to Begin in September

2 days ago

US Senate Committee Backs $1 Billion for Ukraine in Pentagon Spending Bill

2 days ago

Trump Says Mexico Trade Deal Extended for 90 Days

2 days ago

Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup Responds to $162,000 Payout

2 days ago
The 49ers Add Florida Receiver Ricky Pearsall With the 30th Draft Pick
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
April 26, 2024

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Florida's wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 30th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. (NFL)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SANTA CLARA — San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch received a text from star receiver Brandon Aiyuk shortly after drafting Florida’s Ricky Pearsall with the 30th pick.

Aiyuk’s message about his former teammate was glowing: “Fire pick. Can’t lie.”

The Niners concluded the first day of the NFL draft by adding a rookie receiver in Pearsall and retaining its established stars Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel despite heavy speculation that one of them could have been moved Thursday night.

San Francisco is attempting to secure a long-term deal with Aiyuk after giving Samuel one two years ago, raising the question of whether the 49ers would trade Aiyuk if they can’t sign him or trade Samuel if they can and aren’t willing to carry two high-priced receivers on the roster.

Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan wouldn’t definitively rule out any potential trades of Aiyuk or Samuel but deemed it as unlikely, especially now that the first round of the draft is over.

Continuing Positive Talks

“I know that we’re continuing to have positive talks with BA,” Lynch said. “We are really efforting to get something done with him. We’re excited about continuing down that path with Brandon being a part of this team and Deebo is a part of this team and a big part of this team. We feel great about that group and we feel like we’ve made it better.”

Pearsall had 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns last season at Florida and provides the Niners a possible option as a slot receiver. Pearsall was known for some highlight-reel catches during his time in college and now is the latest potential playmaker added to a dynamic offense that made it to the Super Bowl last season.

Pearsall began his college career at Arizona State where he was teammates with Aiyuk in 2019, leading to the happy text Aiyuk sent to Lynch and a congratulatory call to Pearsall.

“We have a really good relationship,” Pearsall said. “I just got off the phone with him before I got over here on this Zoom call, and he was just congratulating me and telling me over and over again, ‘You’re a first rounder, man. Soak it up.’ There’s been a lot of work put in since we last ran routes together. I feel like I’m a totally different player since the last time we’ve seen each other.”

Pearsall’s Impressive Performance

Pearsall got on the radar of many observers thanks to his one-handed catch against Charlotte last September that quickly became an internet sensation.

It was the more routine work that impressed the Niners, who stressed his ability to play inside and outside, his attention to detail on route-running, ability to block downfield and refusal to go down at first contact as big reasons why they drafted him.

“There’s not one play,” said Shanahan, who compared Pearsall to a far more talented version of himself as a a little-used wide receiver at Texas more than two decades ago.

“He’s going to go over the middle and do everything he can to catch that ball and not worry about anything else. When he’s on the sidelines he’s not taking the easy way out. He makes guys tackle him and is not looking for a place to fall. When he doesn’t have the ball, he plays just as hard.”

This was the first time the Niners had a pick in the first round since 2021 when they drafted quarterback Trey Lance third overall. San Francisco traded their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to move up nine spots that year to take Lance, who started only four games for the 49ers before being traded to Dallas last August.

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Judges Speak Out About Death Threats, ‘Swattings,’ and ‘Pizza Doxings’

DON'T MISS

It’s Raining Cash for Some 2026 Fresno City Council Hopefuls

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Finds E. Coli at Avocado Lake. Don’t Swim There

DON'T MISS

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

DON'T MISS

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

DON'T MISS

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

DON'T MISS

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

DON'T MISS

Fresno Councilmember Vang Accused of Conflict of Interest in Budget Vote

DON'T MISS

Ghislaine Maxwell Moved From Florida Prison to Lower-Security Facility

UP NEXT

More Than 100 NFL Players and Club Employees Face Fines for Selling Super Bowl Tickets

UP NEXT

Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to US Over Travel Ban

UP NEXT

A First Look at Fresno State’s Quarterback Battle

UP NEXT

The Entz Era Begins at Fresno State With QB Job Up for Grabs

UP NEXT

US Olympic Officials Bar Transgender Women From Women’s Competitions

UP NEXT

Trump Threatens Washington Stadium Deal Unless NFL Team Readopts Redskins Name

UP NEXT

Wonderful Co. Has a New Face Promoting Pistachios: MVP Josh Allen

UP NEXT

Uber Named Official Rideshare, Delivery Partner for Los Angeles Games

UP NEXT

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final, FIFA Opens Office in Trump Tower

UP NEXT

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

15 hours ago

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

16 hours ago

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

16 hours ago

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

16 hours ago

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

16 hours ago

Fresno Councilmember Vang Accused of Conflict of Interest in Budget Vote

17 hours ago

Ghislaine Maxwell Moved From Florida Prison to Lower-Security Facility

17 hours ago

Trump Escalates Trade War With Canada Following Palestine Stance

17 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Scott Oscar Whitehead

18 hours ago

‘Freedom Week’: California Gun Owners Rush to Buy Ammo After Court Ruling

18 hours ago

US Judges Speak Out About Death Threats, ‘Swattings,’ and ‘Pizza Doxings’

United States judges spoke out against the unprecedented surge in violence and disturbing threats made against members of the judicial branc...

12 hours ago

United States judges speaking about receiving violent threats over rulings
12 hours ago

US Judges Speak Out About Death Threats, ‘Swattings,’ and ‘Pizza Doxings’

Fresno city hall with council campaign finance money
14 hours ago

It’s Raining Cash for Some 2026 Fresno City Council Hopefuls

E. coli identified at avocado lake
15 hours ago

Fresno County Finds E. Coli at Avocado Lake. Don’t Swim There

President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Republican Senators, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 18, 2025. (Reuters File)
15 hours ago

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

Breaking News from Reuters
16 hours ago

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 31, 2025. (Reuters File)
16 hours ago

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

16 hours ago

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

President Donald Trump speaks after disembarking Marine One, as he departs for Scotland, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., July 25, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
16 hours ago

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend