Ricky Pearsall is grasping an opportunity the San Francisco 49ers would prefer he didn't have at OTAs

Though San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan did not attempt to hide the fact that he would obviously rather have All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk present at OTAs, he conceded that the absence of their leading receiver could be helpful for the team’s latest first-round pick at wideout.

Ricky Pearsall, whom the 49ers surprisingly selected 31st overall last month is experiencing his first full team practices with the 49ers, with his hopes of building a rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy boosted by Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings electing not to attend OTAs.

Aiyuk is seeking a long-term extension from the 49ers, while Jennings has yet to sign his second-round restricted free agent tender.

Those issues are clearly unwanted ones for the 49ers, but they have given Pearsall the chance for a lot more reps with Purdy.

Asked about that opportunity for Aiyuk’s former college teammate, Shanahan told a press conference on Tuesday: “I always think the more reps you get, the more experience you get, the more different situations you can be put in. I mean, if you’re talented enough and made of the right stuff, you only get better.

“But sometimes it’s hard to generate those things, especially in a practice when it’s not full speed all the time and things like that. So the more reps you can get of it, always helps the right type of player.”

All signs so far point towards Pearsall being the right type of player, with Purdy throwing significant praise in his direction during his press conference after the second practice of OTAs.

“He’s done a good job coming in, obviously learning the playbook, coming to work every day,” Purdy said.

“As a quarterback and really the whole team, we always like young guys that can come in and they’re willing to do the dirty work to learn and start from the ground up. And he has done that, he has done everything right.

“Getting out on the field, being able to throw him the ball, and obviously seeing his hands, the way he moves, all of it, it’s been good. Really excited to have him.”

After his selection, there were questions surrounding Pearsall’s potential role in an offense already featuring Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey along with Jennings.

With Aiyuk and Jennings, for now, out of the picture, Pearsall appears to be grasping the opportunity to ensure he will have a role to play as a rookie by absorbing Shanahan’s playbook quickly and impressing his quarterback.

Assuming the contract issues with Aiyuk and Jennings are resolved, Pearsall may well be fighting to be fifth in the pecking order among pass-catchers considering McCaffrey’s considerable prowess in that regard. 

However, these early practices in which he is receiving a lot more reps than perhaps the 49ers might have anticipated — and because of situations they obviously didn’t want to arise — could prove instrumental in making sure Purdy is confident in going to Pearsall often when he is on the field in 2024.