The NFL Draft is coming up next week. We take a look at Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, a sure-handed receiver with some nice route running.
247 Sports had Pearsall rated as a three-star recruit coming out of Tempe, Ariz. He committed to Arizona State where he would earn PAC-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2021. He eventually transferred to Florida the spring before his junior year.
Pearsall totaled 2,420 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns, and 159 catches throughout his collegiate career. He compiled a career-best 965 yards and 65 receptions in his final year at Florida. He also contributed an average of 11.5 return yards on punts with a career-long of 40 yards.
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Ricky Pearsall, Florida, Wide Receiver
Name: Ricky Pearsall
Jersey: No. 1
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Florida
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 189 lbs.
Ricky Pearsall’s Strengths
Pearsall possesses remarkable hands that can hold on through contact and typically catches passes away from his body. He also adjusts to bad throws exceptionally well and is a warrior over the middle. His special route-running ability comes with a variety of moves in his bag. He is a lot better off the line of scrimmage, but if given a clear path to the defensive back, he has enough speed to get on their toes and break off the route sharply to create separation. Very swift out of his breaks. Not a ton of wasted movement or choppy feet in his routes. Does a good job of finding the hole in the zone and not running himself into coverage.
Pearsall can make guys miss. He won’t be a YAC monster, but if it is a one-on-one situation with the ball in his hands, he has the shiftiness and creativity to win those. This shows up on punt returns.
Ricky Pearsall’s Weaknesses
Pearsall lacks the play strength needed to be an outside guy. He often gets re-routed and knocked off balance when defenders are able to get their hands on him. This also shows up in contested catch situations down the field where he often loses ideal positioning against bigger defensive backs. He plays better when he can build up his speed and attack the defensive back.
Draft Projection: Day 2 Pick
Pearsall brings reliable hands and incredible route running to the table but lacks the size and strength to be a consistent player on the outside. This, along with a lack of explosive plays, makes me hesitant to crown him a top-tier talent. However, when in the slot, he can use his knack for finding holes in the zone and his short area burst to win there.
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