Gators receiver Ricky Pearsall goes to NFC champion 49ers late in 1st round
The NFC champion San Francisco 49ers made Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall the 31st pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night.
Pearsall was projected as a second-round pick Friday, but outperformed expectations after a strong showing at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
He registered 42 inches in the vertical jump and a 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump. He ran 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, ranking 10th best among receivers at the combine.
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Twenty-one receivers have been drafted from the Gators since 2000, including six since 2020.
Pearsall is the eighth UF receiver drafted in the first round and last since Kadarius Toney (2021, Giants, 20th overall).
Pearsall transferred from Arizona State after playing three seasons in his hometown.
Pearsall led the Gators with 65 receptions and 965 receiving yards, along with 5 touchdowns. He finished 35 yards shy of becoming UF’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Taylor Jacobs, whose 1,088 in 2002 helped earn him the No. 44 selection in the 2003 draft.
Forty-one (63.1%) of his catches were for first downs.