Ricky Pearsall heads into year two of his NFL career under significant pressure to take a big step forward and establish himself as a critical element of the 49ers’ passing game.
Through no fault of his own, 2024 first-round pick Pearsall saw his rookie season extremely disrupted, with his debut delayed until Week 7 after he was shot through the chest in an attempted armed robbery in August.
Understandably, Pearsall needed some time to shake off the rust after somehow escaping that incident with no injuries to his organs. However, by the end of the season, he looked to have established an excellent rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, racking up 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns over the final two weeks.