Following outstanding route running and sure-handedness at Reese’s Senior Bowl workouts, Gators wideout Ricky Pearsall is rising up the draft boards.
Ricky Pearsall, a Florida Gators wide receiver, fully pleased onlookers with his performance at Reese’s Senior Bowl practices last week, making full use of the pre-draft bowl series.
The performance resulted in a significant increase in his stock ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
On Monday, Pro Football Focus updated its mock draft for the forthcoming selection process. Trevor Sikemma and Connor Rogers, draft analysts, recognized the wideout’s enhanced status as one of the most noticeable beneficiaries of the annual event this offseason.
Pearsall was the first anticipated pick off the board on Day 2, going 33rd overall to the Carolina Panthers.
“Pearsall catches everything, he knows how to separate, he’s a good athlete, he can make a spectacular catch, he’s got excellent footwork; this is the kind of pro the Panthers need so badly for Bryce [Young],” Rogers said about his selection on PFF’s NFL Stock Exchange Podcast post-Senior Bowl Mock Draft show on Friday.
“I love this player.”
Pearsall transferred to Florida from Arizona State before the 2022 season and instantly assumed the starting slot receiver role in the Gators’ offense.
He had his most productive collegiate year, totaling 661 yards and five touchdowns on 20 yards per grab to top the Gators’ receiving efforts.
Despite weighing his choices early in the 2023 offseason, Pearsall chose to return to the University of Florida for a final season, expecting to move up draft boards with an extra year of experience.
The decision paid off for the now-23-year-old.
The Chandler, Ariz., native improved on his 2022 performance by leading the Gators through the air again, with 65 receptions, 965 yards, 14.8 yards per grab, and four touchdowns.
He offered a safety blanket from the slot to newly acquired quarterback Graham Mertz, allowing a revamped offense to achieve sustained success in the second part of the season. His season was highlighted by an incredible one-handed grab across the middle of the field versus Charlotte, during which he stretched out to catch a slightly overthrown pass from Mertz before taking a crushing hit from two 49ers defenders in coverage.
Pearsall also played a key role in Florida’s comeback victory over South Carolina, catching the game-winning touchdown with 47 seconds left.
However, the unforgettable moments were merely a reflection of his individual accomplishment at UF.
