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Pearsall’s first-round NFL draft selection an ESPN head-scratcher

The San Francisco 49ers shocked the football world when they drafted former Florida Gators wide receiver standout Ricky Pearsall with the 31st pick of the NFL draft. Considered a second-day selection by most pundits, the stand-out pass catcher completed his meteoric rise in the first round.

Predictably, many were confused and bewildered by the early pick, including ESPN national NFL writer Jeremy Fowler, who included Pearsall in the writer’s roundtable under the biggest head-scratcher heading.

“Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31. I’m not about to doubt coach Kyle Shanahan’s eye for offensive skill players, and I love Pearsall as a player. But his place as WR6 in this draft was unexpected.” fowler explains.

“Most teams I spoke to pegged him as a Day 2 pick. Considering the 49ers still have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the roster, bolstering the offensive or defensive line seemed like a sensible play.”

Next up for Pearsall is San Francisco’s rookie minicamp, which runs from May 10-11. After that, the Niners have their OTA offseason workouts set for May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29 and May 31; mandatory minicamp runs from June 4-6.

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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire