The San Francisco 49ers revamped their wideout room this offseason, bringing in two veterans, Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. As a result of their arrival, it pushes former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, for now, to at least WR2 or WR3.
Pearsall is heading into his third season with the Niners and will have competition to be a go-to target for QB Brock Purdy. As a result, Jose Sanchez of 49ers on SI put the Niners wideout among his five players entering a make-or-break season.
“The most obvious player to name here is wide receiver Ricky Pearsall,” Sanchez wrote in a July 2 article. “He’s yet to come close to proving the 49ers right for investing a first-round pick on him.
“However, it’s not due to a lack of talent. Early last season, he had moments where he showed the damage he could do. The talent is there for him to be a bona fide No. 2 receiver.
“He just needs to finally stay healthy. Some of it is unlucky, especially last season. A PCL injury is brutal, and he had to play through it. Fingers crossed he gets some luck to stay healthy, or the 49ers will not pick up his fifth-year option.”
Ricky Pearsall Must Stay Healthy This Upcoming Season
Last season with the 49ers, Pearsall played 302 pass snaps, leading to a 73.5 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he hauled in 36 receptions on 52 targets for 528 receiving yards while averaging 14.7 yards per reception and generating 78 yards after the catch.
Since being drafted by San Francisco in 2024, Pearsall has endured a number of injuries, which include a serious preseason gunshot wound to the chest, a lingering right knee PCL injury, and an assortment of ankle and shoulder issues.
As a result, Pearsall will need to remain healthy, given that Evans and Kirk have also had injury issues, which led to them missing time last season. Staying healthy would allow for Pearsall to be a go-to target for Purdy if Kirk and Evans miss time at any point this upcoming season and jump the wideout depth chart.
49ers’ George Kittle Doesn’t Hold Back on Mike Evans
Speaking of Evans, in the July 1 edition of “New Heights,” 49ers tight end George Kittle shared his thoughts on having Evans be one of the go-to guys on offense and noted that it’s been a while since the Niners have had veteran wideouts join the team.
“One thing I was talking to Purdy about a couple of days ago is that this is our first veteran wide receiver since we had Mike Evans,” Kittle said. “We had Deebo [Samuel] and [Brandon] Aiyuk, but they were both in years one through four. Deebo was in year five, but Mike Evans is a guy who, just watching him and seeing his savviness, is incredible.
“He understands concepts. In the red zone, if one guy has the corner route and another guy has the ‘now’ route underneath it, the way he sets it up against a defender with outside leverage and then gets wide open is so fun to watch.”
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