How Confident are the 49ers in Wide Receiver Ricky Pearsall?

At this point, my confidence in him is a 6.

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

When the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick this offseason, that was a clear vote of confidence for second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.

He missed the first seven games of his rookie season after getting shot in the chest, but he finished the year with a big game against the Detroit Lions. That performance gave the 49ers enough confidence in Pearsall to finally move on from Samuel.

But Pearsall recently pulled his hamstring and missed all of OTAs. He's expected to be back for training camp, but he missed most of training camp last year with a hamstring injury, so he still has much to prove. That's why Bleacher Report's confidence level in Pearsall is just a seven.

"On tape, Pearsall won his one-on-one matchups against man coverage," writes Bleacher Report's Damian Parson. "He is the type of receiver who will excel inside Kyle Shanahan’s West Coast scheme.

"Pearsall’s work against zone defense is outstanding. With his arrow trending upward after receiver Deebo Samuel's trade, Pearsall has a big chance to take the starting position opposite Brandon Aiyuk (who’s recovering from a torn ACL).

"The sample size is small, but Pearsall displayed the route running, space creation and downfield speed to become a problem for opponents. Quarterback Brock Purdy received his deserved payday, and when on the field together, Pearsall received opportunities to produce. His strengths mesh well with Purdy’s play style and the areas of the field he wants to frequent."

Pearsall certainly is a nifty route runner who should rack up lots of catches and yards in this system if he can stay healthy. But his durability is very much in question and he'll turn 25 in September. Plus, it's unclear if he'll be much of a scoring threat in the NFL -- he had three touchdowns last season and four during his final season at Florida.

At this point, my confidence in him is a 6.