Leadership void: How 49ers can pick up slack following trio of departures

Shortly after the San Francisco 49ers finalized their selection of former Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan shared insights with Bay Area radio station KNBR. Reflecting on Day 1's events, Lynch was questioned about the team's approach for the remaining six rounds. "Well, we will see," Lynch responded thoughtfully, trying not to reveal too much. "We'll get a good sleep right now. We'll wake up. Tomorrow will be a busy day and a fun day. We've got a lot of picks. We just got to make them count; all of them count." San Francisco has nine more draft picks, barring any trades. The team's next pick is currently the 63rd overall selection toward the end of the second

The San Francisco 49ers had a number of intriguing options available in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night but decided to add University of Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. at pick 31 overall, bypassing players such as cornerbacks Cooper DeJean of Iowa and Kool-Aid McKinstry of Alabama and defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton of Illinois. What should fans know about Pearsall and where he fits in with the 49ers? And does it mean anything regarding the future of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel? Let's take a look. What the 49ers like about Pearsall, and what general manager John Lynch said about the wide receiver situation The 49ers appear to be excited about the overall package that Pearsall brings to the table, particularly his

The San Francisco 49ers' selection of University of Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft certainly drew its share of reactions, both positive and negative. Some pundits scratched their heads at the selection, but the viewpoint from NFL players seems quite different. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk sent his approval of the pick to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, calling it a "fire pick," while another player, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, raved about the pick

According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate. "According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price." While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft