49ers' Ricky Pearsall is already justifying his draft status after unexpected delay to NFL career

The more impressive play, however, came on the final drive.

There were reports during the offseason programs that Pearsall, who also dealt with a shoulder issue before suffering his gunshot wound, had struggled to defeat physical coverage in practice.

But he did just that on a huge 14-yard reception that put the 49ers in field goal range before Jauan Jennings then moved them even closer.

After widening with his initial stem, Pearsall used his hands superbly to fight off heavy contact from Bucs corner Christian Izien as he broke back towards the middle of the field, gaining a crucial yard of separation to make a tremendously important catch.

Pearsall finished with 2.43 yards per route run, per Pro Football Focus, the ninth-most among receivers with at least five targets in Week 10 heading into Sunday with a showing that will only help his standing with Purdy, who is sure to have an increasing amount of faith in the rookie after his efforts in the clutch.

Though there is still a long way to go before the pick can be declared a success, it's evident that Pearsall ticks the boxes of a Shanahan receiver. He has reliable hands, can win consistently with his route-running and clearly brings yards after the catch upside.

On top of that, Pearsall is already proving himself to be a receiver who fully commits in the one area that is a non-negotiable for any receiver hoping to play consistent snaps for Shanahan, the blocking game.

Pearsall was the 49ers' highest-graded run blocker against the Buccaneers by PFF and, if he continues to deliver blocks like the one in the clip above on David, is going to rapidly develop a reputation for his play in that facet of the game, much like Aiyuk has done with his outstanding efforts blocking downfield.

Despite taking him with their top pick, the 49ers probably didn't envision needing Pearsall regularly in his rookie season, with Aiyuk, Samuel and Jennings established as the top three at the receiver position.

But Aiyuk's injury meant there was little time for Pearsall to knock off the rust following a delay to his NFL bow nobody could have foreseen.

Thankfully, since the Chiefs game, there have been few signs of rust, Pearsall taking to the challenge of contributing for a star-studded offense extremely quickly. The sample size is small, but the 49ers can afford to have growing confidence Pearsall can help fill the void left by Aiyuk, and in their evaluation of a player not many had pegged as a first-round pick.

San Francisco has gotten a lot of key contributions from its rookie crop this season. After the trauma of his preseason incident, the remaining question-mark surrounding the 49ers' draft was Pearsall.

That question-mark may soon be removed if Pearsall continues in this vein, with the potential vindication of his selection the critical cherry on top of what could be a Super Bowl-window extending draft class.