Gators head coach Billy Napier said the 49ers got it right when they selected receiver Ricky Pearsall, shown with Napier on Senior Night at the Swamp in November. (Photo: Ashley Ray/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Pearsall a Good Pick by 49ers Despite Mr. Ting's Protests
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Ricky Pearsall, meet Eric Ting.
Eric is a columnist at SFGATE.com, once the exclusive online home of the San Francisco Chronicle and now an independent news site covering the San Francisco Bay area. Mr. Ting did not like the hometown 49ers using their first-round pick on Pearsall, the Gators receiver who worked his way up draft boards with a strong season followed by a string of impressive workouts and interviews during the draft process.
The headline on Ting's column: "The 49ers Drafting Ricky Pearsall is Indefensible"
Not long ago, journalists rarely wrote headlines on stories, and while that has changed at most outlets in the internet age, maybe Ting's editor was in charge that day and feeling frisky. To give Mr. Ting the benefit of the doubt, let's see if his column was a bit tamer.
Here is the lede, or the opening paragraph: There is no plausible defense for the San Francisco 49ers' selection of Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at pick No. 31 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mr. Ting comes out hot, having just watched a Stephen A. Smith podcast. Maybe he softened his stance after wiping the coffee stain off his shirt.
The second paragraph, please: Harsh? Yes. An overreaction? Most certainly not. Pearsall is a "reach" by any objective measure.
Damn, Mr. Ting turns into Mr. T at the keyboard. If you like, you can check out the rest of his column, which debates Pearsall's selection over comparable receivers and how it fits into the 49ers' financial picture after the 2024 season.
We all know everyone has a mock draft and various opinions about every selection, with some more out there than others.
Mr. Ting's view is certainly different than that of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Is Pearsall a guaranteed All-Pro who will unseat Jerry Rice as the greatest receiver in 49ers (and NFL) history? No. But he is an outstanding receiver devoted to his craft and continues to improve. Still, Pearsall is no more a sure thing than Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels, but that is the way the draft works.
There is a Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell for every Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.
Meanwhile, Pearsall was the only UF player selected in the three-day draft that concluded Saturday evening. That was not a surprise considering the rebuild set to enter its third season under head coach Billy Napier.
Pearsall, a transfer from Arizona State, is the highest-drafted player signed by Napier since he took over the program. Pearsall surpassed offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence, a transfer from Louisiana in 2022 who went to the Buffalo Bills (second round, 59th overall pick) last year.
If Eric Ting is interested in more about Pearsall for his next column, perhaps Napier can help him.
Pearsall embodies Napier's talent evaluation and player development abilities.
"I think Ricky Pearsall is the epitome of what we call 'Journey.' I think he's done a phenomenal job from Day 1 of really buying into improvement,'' Napier said after Pearsall got drafted. "He's been a relentless worker. Really set the pace around here for two years in terms of work ethic, self-discipline, attention to detail, great teammate, incredible energy every day. Just a fun guy to coach.
"One of my favorite players of all time, and I think the NFL got it right. The 49ers got it right because this guy is a pro. He'll be even better at the next level."
Hopefully, Mr. Ting is not sipping hot coffee if he reads Napier's comments.
Eric is a columnist at SFGATE.com, once the exclusive online home of the San Francisco Chronicle and now an independent news site covering the San Francisco Bay area. Mr. Ting did not like the hometown 49ers using their first-round pick on Pearsall, the Gators receiver who worked his way up draft boards with a strong season followed by a string of impressive workouts and interviews during the draft process.
The headline on Ting's column: "The 49ers Drafting Ricky Pearsall is Indefensible"
Not long ago, journalists rarely wrote headlines on stories, and while that has changed at most outlets in the internet age, maybe Ting's editor was in charge that day and feeling frisky. To give Mr. Ting the benefit of the doubt, let's see if his column was a bit tamer.
Here is the lede, or the opening paragraph: There is no plausible defense for the San Francisco 49ers' selection of Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at pick No. 31 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mr. Ting comes out hot, having just watched a Stephen A. Smith podcast. Maybe he softened his stance after wiping the coffee stain off his shirt.
The second paragraph, please: Harsh? Yes. An overreaction? Most certainly not. Pearsall is a "reach" by any objective measure.
Damn, Mr. Ting turns into Mr. T at the keyboard. If you like, you can check out the rest of his column, which debates Pearsall's selection over comparable receivers and how it fits into the 49ers' financial picture after the 2024 season.
We all know everyone has a mock draft and various opinions about every selection, with some more out there than others.
Mr. Ting's view is certainly different than that of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
"Damn they got Pearsall, I wanted him 𝙗𝙖𝙙."
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 26, 2024
C.J. Stroud had a strong reaction to Ricky Pearsall going off the board in Round 1 👀
🎥: @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/CwxW2jkHro
Is Pearsall a guaranteed All-Pro who will unseat Jerry Rice as the greatest receiver in 49ers (and NFL) history? No. But he is an outstanding receiver devoted to his craft and continues to improve. Still, Pearsall is no more a sure thing than Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels, but that is the way the draft works.
There is a Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell for every Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.
Meanwhile, Pearsall was the only UF player selected in the three-day draft that concluded Saturday evening. That was not a surprise considering the rebuild set to enter its third season under head coach Billy Napier.
Pearsall, a transfer from Arizona State, is the highest-drafted player signed by Napier since he took over the program. Pearsall surpassed offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence, a transfer from Louisiana in 2022 who went to the Buffalo Bills (second round, 59th overall pick) last year.
If Eric Ting is interested in more about Pearsall for his next column, perhaps Napier can help him.
Pearsall embodies Napier's talent evaluation and player development abilities.
"I think Ricky Pearsall is the epitome of what we call 'Journey.' I think he's done a phenomenal job from Day 1 of really buying into improvement,'' Napier said after Pearsall got drafted. "He's been a relentless worker. Really set the pace around here for two years in terms of work ethic, self-discipline, attention to detail, great teammate, incredible energy every day. Just a fun guy to coach.
"One of my favorite players of all time, and I think the NFL got it right. The 49ers got it right because this guy is a pro. He'll be even better at the next level."
Hopefully, Mr. Ting is not sipping hot coffee if he reads Napier's comments.
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