Will Ricky Pearsall be the 49ers' No. 1 Wide Receiver in 2025?

The 49ers need a No. 1 wide receiver.

Brandon Aiyuk was that player in 2023, but he tore three ligaments in his knee last season and probably won't be himself until 2026 if he ever makes a full recovery.

Jauan Jennings stepped up during Aiyuk's absence and led all 49ers wide receivers in catches and receiving yards. He's a terrific competitor, an elite blocker and an outstanding possession receiver, but he's not explosive. He's not a threat to run by any NFL defensive back and he's not much of a threat with the ball in his hands after the catch. So at best, he's a high-level No. 2 receiver, not a No. 1 guy.

Which brings us to Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers drafted him in Round 1 last year because they knew they probably would move on from Deebo Samuel this offseason. But Pearsall has very little in common with Samuel. In terms of play style, Pearsall is similar to Aiyuk.

We saw a glimpse of what Pearsall could do in Week 17 against the Lions. In that game, he caught 8 passes, averaged a whopping 17.6 yards per catch and scored a touchdown. He was the 49ers' most explosive player on offense. He was better than Jennings.

If Pearsall stays healthy, I would expect he'll have more receiving yards than Jennings next season even if Jennings gets more targets than Pearsall. And that's because Pearsall is a deep threat and Jennings is not. So Pearsall most likely will average more than 15 yards per catch while Jennings averages closer to 12 yards per catch.

Don't sleep on Pearsall. He's in line to have a surprisingly productive season.