49ers news: Ravens GM reveals Ricky Pearsall was one of his sleepers

Many were shocked when the San Francisco 49ers acquired Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st pick in 2024. NFL draft. The wideout was considered by many critics to be a mid-round pick.

However, as the post-draft process unfolded, many praised the selection by the 49ers, who appear to have more fans around the league than in the media. Among the group? Baltimore Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta.

Speaking about sleepers in the 2024 NFL Draft, DeCosta described Pearsall as one of those players, and expressed hope that the Florida wideout could be available to the Ravens “at some point.”

In the end, he made it all the way to the end of the first round, which DeCosta praised as “a great pick.”

“It was a great pick. I give those guys a lot of credit,” DeCosta said of the pick. “I thought [Pearsall] He was a guy we could get behind who was a sleeper for us at one point. It wasn’t really a hot, hot name for the commodity. But that was another guy when I watched his game, he’s a very impressive player on tape.

The Ravens eventually took Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with their first-round pick at No. 30. They first selected a receiver in the fourth round, taking wide receiver Tez Walker from North Carolina State with the 113th pick.

Pearsall was the sixth receiver selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, then Ohio StateMarvin Harrison (No. 4 to Arizona Cardinals), LSUMalik Al-Nabras (No. 6 New York Giants), Roma Udonzi, Washington (No. 9 to Chicago Bears), Brian Thomas Jr. of LSU (No. 23 to Jacksonville Jaguars), and Texas Xavier Worthy (No. 28 to Kansas City Chiefs).

By taking wideout Florida at No. 31, the 49ers continued to run on receivers, beating teams Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles ChargersAnd New England Patriotswho took all players at the position over the next six picks, to Pearsall.

Here’s my full breakdown of Pearsall’s pick on draft night, and how he fits with the 49ers in the short and long term.