49ers Brandon Aiyuk sends text to John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan after former college teammate pick

Ricky Pearsall is 6’1″ 189lb senior out of the University of Florida. He is known for his excellent route running, dependable hands, and natural ability to get open despite blazing speed. His father, Rick Pearsall, played wide receiver and kick returner at Northern Arizona University.

Pearsall was expected to go in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but instead snuck into the end of the first round.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Pearsall a prospect grade equal to that of an eventual plus starter. Pearsall may not be forced to play as a starter in year one, but he has the talent to step in sooner rather than later.

Trade rumors have swirled around Brandon Aiyuk for months

It will be interesting to see if the selection of Ricky Pearsall changes the conversation around Brandon Aiyuk’s trade rumors.

Aiyuk has been the subject of several trade rumors recently. He is due for a contract extension and has not been shy about the fact that he feels he deserves to be paid like a number one wide receiver. The rumors have intensified because San Francisco has several highly paid players on the team. Obviously the 49ers would love to keep Aiyuk, but it is no easy decision to ink him to a record-breaking contract.

The price to extend a top wide receiver, much like other positions in the NFL, continues to rise with the salary cap. The longer that the Aiyuk situation remains unresolved, the higher his price tag. In the last week we have already seen Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown reset the receiver market with huge extensions. The 49ers should feel a sense of urgency to get a deal done if they truly want to keep Aiyuk in the fold for the long haul.

There were also rumors last night that the 49ers had talks with several teams about trading either Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel in an attempt to move up in the draft. One of the teams was reportedly picking in the top 10. This is an interesting wrinkle because it adds significant fuel to the theory that San Francisco is not happy with their two starting wide receivers.

Perhaps the situation will come to a definitive conclusion by the end of draft weekend. The 2024 NFL Draft resumes tonight at 7PM EST in Detroit.