The 49ers Need this Player to be their No. 1 Wide Receiver in 2025

Last year, it was Jauan Jennings. This year, it probably will be someone else.

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) catches a pass during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The 49ers' wide receiver corps is a major issue right now.

Jauan Jennings has missed the past four practices with a calf injury, and Kyle Shanahan says there's no timetable for his return. Sounds serious. Brandon Aiyuk will be out until roughly midseason as he recovers from knee surgery. Demarcus Robinson most likely will be suspended for the first two games, and he's a second option at best. Jacob Cowing has a hamstring injury. And rookie Jordan Watkins missed Friday's practice for an undisclosed reason.

That leaves Russell Gage, Andy Isabella, Marquez Callaway, Isaiah Hodgins, a bunch of players who never have caught a pass in the NFL and Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers' first-round pick last year.

The 49ers need Ricky Pearsall to step up

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Of all the wide receivers currently on the 49ers' roster, Pearsall is best-suited to be the No. 1 option. He's 24, he's explosive, he's shifty, he creates separation from defenders, he's sure-handed, he can run reverses and jet sweeps and he's a threat after the catch. We saw all these traits from Pearsall when he caught 8 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown against the Lions in Week 17.

He just needs to stay healthy and practice. Last offseason, he was injured most of the time, he didn't learn the system. This offseason, he missed all of OTAs, minicamp and the first four days of training camp. So he's behind, but he's catching up.

On Friday, Brock Purdy discussed Pearsall's growth.

Feb 7, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) speaks during a press conference before Super Bowl LVIII at Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Purdy's take on Pearsall

"In our offense, it's usually steps, timing, you're breaking at a certain angle," Purdy explained. "And last year, Ricky was raw with his talent. He had it, but he also had to learn our system, our timing, and where I'm throwing the ball. He's got a lot of shimmy, which is great. We need that, specifically against man coverage to create separation, and we love that.

"But, I think that there were sometimes where he had to learn that he you couldn’t take a couple more steps and then break out, I need you there now, I need to get the ball out now. We had a couple of those moments and there were times where he took it a little deeper and then broke open. He was like, ‘dude, I was open.’ I said in the timing of the play, I needed it quicker. So, we had moments like that, and that's part of getting to the NFL, learning the system, a quarterback and a receiver talking and getting to know each other.

"I feel like it has gotten better for sure over the last year or so. I think towards the end of the last season, you saw Ricky come out his shell, he was playing within our system and timing, so he is going to continue to learn who he is as a receiver and what his strengths are and I'm going to continue to learn with him and that excites me. So, I think we've gotten some pretty good work so far and we're just going to continue to chip away at it."

Jul 23, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) works on passing drills during the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Pearsall's outlook for 2025

Someone has to lead the 49ers in targets this season, and it probably won't be George Kittle. He's turning 32 in October, and he hasn't led the 49ers in targets since 2019. They don't want to overuse him during the regular season.

Last year, Jauan Jennings led the 49ers in targets with 113. This season, those targets could go to Pearsall if he stays healthy, because Jennings already is injured, and at 28, his best football might be behind him.

This is Pearsall's opportunity to show the world that he was the right pick for the 49ers in Round 1 last year. Let's see what he can do.