What to know about 49ers first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, and what the team said about the wide receiver position

The San Francisco 49ers had a number of intriguing options available in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night but decided to add University of Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. at pick 31 overall, bypassing players such as cornerbacks Cooper DeJean of Iowa and Kool-Aid McKinstry of Alabama and defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton of Illinois.

What should fans know about Pearsall and where he fits in with the 49ers? And does it mean anything regarding the future of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel? Let's take a look.

What the 49ers like about Pearsall, and what general manager John Lynch said about the wide receiver situation

The 49ers appear to be excited about the overall package that Pearsall brings to the table, particularly his athleticism, toughness, and enthusiasm for the game. Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about Pearsall to KNBR radio after their selection, saying he fit in well with what Shanahan, a former receiver himself, looks for in the players at the position.

"I think there's a group of traits... The kid can run," Lynch said. "He ran a 4.43. We always talk about the ability to cut outside his frame. He's very, very adept at that. The vertical helps him in his leaping ability. He's tough. He takes some hits, and he gets up right away, which I really appreciate. When we drafted him, he didn't say much, but what he said to me was, 'Coach, you're getting a workhorse.' That's what he looks like on tape, so that's pretty cool."

Shanahan also pointed out that Pearsall can help fill a need on special teams created by the free agency departure of return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud.

"He can do a little bit of everything," Shanahan said. "There's nothing he can't do. He can go deep, he can separate underneath. He's got punt return ability, which I think especially not having Ray-Ray is huge for us right now. I think he's going to do whatever we need him to do, and I think we've got a big group of receivers who can do a lot of other stuff too."

The addition of Pearsall won't exactly put an end to speculation regarding the futures of 49ers receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, both of whom were reported to be trade targets heading into the draft. But Lynch said the team is continuing to move toward a contract extension for Aiyuk, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, and that he views Pearsall as simply another quality addition to an already strong receiver room that includes Aiyuk, Samuel, and Jauan Jennings, who signed a one-year restricted free agent tender with the 49ers in March.

"There's a lot of positive talk," Lynch said of Aiyuk. "We're having a lot of good discussions -- working, efforting towards trying to get something done. We're excited to continue on that. Deebo's a fantastic player. Jauan's a fantastic player. We've got Chris Conley (who's) a guy that came on. It goes on and on of the guys that we're excited (about). We just think you keep adding good football players and it's going to serve your team well, and that's what we know we did today."

Mr. Everything

Pearsall (6-1, 189) has had a prolific football career as he was a top 150 national recruit at Corona Del Sol High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he set a state record for receiving yards in a single game (342 yards). He played three seasons at Arizona State, where he caught passes from future Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, then he transferred to Florida, where he caught 65 passes for 965 yards and six total touchdowns (four receiving, two rushing) as senior in 2023.

But football isn't the only thing Pearsall excels at, according to Lynch. Former Arizona State head coach Herman Edwards spoke at length with the 49ers about Pearsall and raved about the receiver's overall athletic ability.

"One thing Herm said, 'You've got to see this guy on a basketball court. He can dunk every which way,'" Lynch said. "His vert would tell you that. We've got a guy in our building who was down at A-State. He said he's the guy who's great at everything. Any sport they go play -- they go play softball as a football team, and he's the guy hitting them out of the park. He's just good at everything. It's kind of what he looks like as he plays. He's a really good athlete and really good football player."

The catch

Pearsall had one of the best catches of the 2023 college football season, which was also perhaps the best catch on any of the highlight films of this year's draft prospects.

The catch took place in a game against Charlotte when Pearsall jumped high in the air to make a one-handed grab, then held onto the football after taking a collision from two defenders. Watch below: