The development of rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall might be essential for the San Francisco 49ers this season, especially if the situation with Brandon Aiyuk goes south. Aiyuk continues to miss training camp practices as he awaits a better offer from the 49ers on a contract extension—or a trade.
Meanwhile, Pearsall has been earning early praise from most reporters watching practices. Things haven't been perfect for him, as you might expect for any new player in his first training camp. It didn't help that the rookie started training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list after suffering a hamstring injury while away from the team.
Quarterback Brock Purdy offered a positive report on the first-year player, who may be relied upon more than head coach Kyle Shanahan typically does with rookie wideouts.
"I think he's getting better and better, just more comfortable within our offense, but I think we need more reps to throw him the ball, need more opportunities and looks," Purdy told reporters on Sunday. "And that'll come. I'm confident in that. But, last couple days, I've tried to get him the ball and stuff, and whether he is trying to get held or trying to get in and out of cuts, sometimes it is tough at practice because you don't always get the cleanest look so you're trying to make it happen.
"But, he's doing a good job. He's picking up the playbook. He's learning it real well and from what we did in OTAs. Then he had a little setback with the hamstring, so we've just got to get back on track with that, but I'm confident that we will."
Last week, Pearsall told reporters that his locker is next to Purdy's, offering the receiver a unique opportunity to learn the offense through the eyes of the man throwing the football.
"Once you start seeing it through a quarterback's lens, then it just becomes that much easier for a receiver," Pearsall said. "So just continuing to develop that trust and that connection with him."
Purdy admits that it can take some time for a quarterback to become comfortable with a new receiver, especially in Shanahan's offensive system, which requires so much from the receiver position.
"We have to go over so much detail within our routes, our concepts, our timing, all of that," Purdy explained. "It's not a couple days, and then you feel good, and you're ready to go play a game. It takes time, especially in this offense. Everything is so detailed within our offense and our scheme that I have to have a guy come in and learn and understand things, and where to be, and the timing of a concept, not doing too much in his route and stuff. All those things take time."
Pearsall feels more comfortable within the offense with each practice and feels he has grown since the 49ers made him the No. 31 overall pick in April.
"I think I've took big strides since I've got here," Pearsall said. "In the beginning, yes, it was a little difficult, coming into an offense like this, that's very complex. There's a lot to it, and trying to learn it all in one day is impossible. So I just kind of told myself that over and over again, and just, each day, how I can get better and improve, and knowing the playbook. And I think that I've made big strides to this point."