The 49ers need Ricky Pearsall to step up.
They drafted him in Round 1 last year because they knew Deebo Samuel probably wouldn't be on the team this year. They ended up trading him to the Commanders in March.
In addition, Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from knee surgery and probably will miss at least the first few games of the upcoming season. Which means Pearsall most likely will start Week 1 opposite Jauan Jennings.
Does that mean Kyle Shanahan actually trusts Pearsall now? That's the biggest question facing the second-year wide receiver according to ESPN.
"It usually takes time for rookie 49ers receivers," writes ESPN's Ben Solak. "Neither Deebo Samuel Sr. nor Brandon Aiyuk were overnight sensations for Shanahan, and the same arc should be expected for Pearsall, especially when you consider the time he sat out because of injury in his rookie year.
"Pearsall had one splashy game against the Lions late last season, but he otherwise stayed quiet on the stat sheet. I will say: The film shows a high-caliber route runner who should excel in this offense, once his number finally starts getting called."
To Solak's point, both Samuel and Aiyuk broke out during their third seasons -- that's when each one saw more than 100 targets for the first time. And Pearsall's rookie season was almost a redshirt considering he missed the first six games after getting shot.
I would expect Pearsall to start until Aiyuk returns. Then, he most likely will become the No. 3 wide receiver on the team, which means he won't get many targets. He'll have to wait until 2026 to be the man.
