Ricky Pearsall. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

C.J. Stroud was envious of one team’s first-round pick

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Apr 26, 2024 6:07 PM ET

Thanks to a mid-March trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Houston Texans didn’t have a pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday.

But if they had, we now have a good idea of who they might have taken thanks to quarterback C.J. Stroud’s reaction to the San Francisco 49ers picking Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall 31st overall during the Bleacher Report live draft show.

“Bro, he’s elite,” Stroud said. “Especially in that offense, (49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) is going to dial it up for him. That’s why I feel like he was going to fit in our system so well. … I wanted him bad. Especially before we didn’t know we were going to get [Stefon Diggs]. Pearsall was my guy, that’s one I wanted.”

New 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall had the second-highest success rate vs. man coverage (75.8%) among the prospects I charted for #ReceptionPerception.

His full RP profile shows a well-rounded wide receiver who can get open on his own and play multiple spots. I had him ranked right… pic.twitter.com/ir5svW3DX0
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 26, 2024

Though Houston’s wide receiver room, which already features Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods and Noah Brown, is a little crowded after acquiring Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills in early April, the last time Stroud told the organization he wanted a receiver (Dell), they accommodated him.

The 23-year-old Pearsall had 65 receptions, 965 yards and four touchdowns in 2023, and he finished his Gators career with 98 grabs, 1,626 yards and nine scores while averaging 16.6 yards per reception.

Several scouts and draft analysts have compared Pearsall to current 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, furthering the belief that San Francisco could potentially trade Aiyuk at the top of Round 2 on Friday night.

Per multiple reports, the 49ers have been calling several teams about possibly trading Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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