2024 Draft Profile: Ricky Pearsall
Age: 23
Height: 6-1
Weight: 189 lbs
40-yard-dash: 4.41
3-cone drill: 6.84 sec
20-yd shuttle: 4.04 sec
RAS: 9.78
Projected Draft Capital: Round 2 (WR10)
Ricky Pearsall is 23 and will turn 24 when the season starts, he had 5 college seasons at Arizona State and Florida but didn’t really come into his own until 2022 and 2023 when he became the primary pass catcher at Florida. During 2022 and 2023 he amassed 1,626 yards and 9 TDs. Much like the previous rookie profile that I completed (Ladd McConkey), Pearsall projects as Slot WR with quick bursts, good route running and good hands, and he played 57% of his routes in the slot in college. He can play both slot and outside, but he should be drafted as a slot.
Pearsall is lanky and has good length, he should be able to fight of DBs and get his hands on the ball. Has the athletic ability to make contested catches. He is a smart player who can use his head and body to gain position on a DB. Has also been used as aRB (21 att 253 yards and 5 TDs).
Pearsall has below average ability to stop and start and come back to the ball. This may cause him issues in the slot and it may end up pushing him outside more often. He has been described as clunky with below average play strength.
Ricky Pearsall is a vertical slot receiver with the speed and ball skills to be a weapon. He does not have the instant top gear that elite speed threats do, but he keeps a great pace once he gets to stride out. That should be enough to make Pearsall dangerous on seams, posts and deep crossing routes.
Pearsall shows impressive ball skills as well. Even besides the extraordinary catches, Pearsall is reliable. Pearsall should be used like Christian Kirk. He has climbed draft boards and if there is a run on WRs in the first round, you could see him sneak into the first to a team like Buffalo or Kansas City. If he falls a little into the second round, I like him to Cincinnati as a Tyler Boyd replacement.
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