49ers: Herm Edwards has one concern about Ricky Pearsall's transition to the NFL

Ricky Pearsall received some concern from his former head coach while he was at Arizona State.

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards walks the sidelines as his team plays the Eastern / Alex Gould/The Republic / USA TODAY

The San Francisco 49ers used their first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select the blazing and explosive Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. And his former head coach Herm Edwards raised a few questions about how well he will transition to the NFL during a recent radio spot with 95.7 The Game.

Coaching Pearsall while together at Arizona State from 2019-2021, Edwards had these concerns when discussing the newest 49ers' wide receiver:

"All receivers struggle when they get to that level at the line of scrimmage when guys are pressed... That's the hardest thing for receivers when they come in the league. I know that as a former corner. In the NFL, it's not like college football -- you ain't got a lot of time. One thousand one, one thousand two and better be open, partner. If not, I'm going the other way. And so you've got to get off press coverage."

- Herm Edwards via 95.7 The Game

Pearsall, of course, transferred away from Edwards and the Arizona State program that went under-fire for repeated recruiting violations surrounding the head coach and now Las Vegas Raiders' head coach Antonio Pierce. Edwards would later be dismissed from his role as head coach of the Sun Devils while Pearsall developed into a first round pick in Gainesville.

Can Pearsall become a guy who can beat press man coverage? That is yet to be seen, but head coach Kyle Shanahan sure knows how to use guys with the weaponry that Pearsall has.