Ricky Pearsall scouting report: Exploring the Florida WR's strengths and weaknesses

A three-star recruit for Arizona State in 2019, Ricky Pearsall was a rotational piece through his first two years with the Sundevils (17 touches for 248 yards and two touchdowns combined), before starting all but two of 13 contests in 2021 – 54 touches for 624 yards and five TDs (honorable mention All-Pac-12).

The following offseason, he transferred to Florida, where he went from primarily a deep threat his first year to an all-around weapon this past season. He turned a combined 109 touches into 1,800 yards and 11 scores throughout his time in The Swamp.

Details: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds; RS SR.

Breaking down Ricky Pearsall's scouting report

Ricky Pearsall at NFL Combine

Releases & route-running:

• Showcases easy acceleration off the line, with the (4.41) speed to blow the top off the defense
• Transfers force into the ground and is able to make dynamic cuts when he plants his foot on slant routes
• Outstanding on crossing routes, particularly on those deep overs, where he slides inside of the DB, pushes up the field a little further initially and then negates any angle to undercut him as he comes flat
• Will drift or slightly adjust his stem to maximize space for himself once he breaks off his routes, and his head-fakes to create softer edges of the guy across him are next-level
• You see him spin around corners capped over him by giving a hard jab/nod as if he was taking off down the sideline before bending it to the post
• Runs some nasty double-moves, where he really sells the initial break with his head and hips, making defenders look silly as they try to undercut him
• Shows great football IQ of when to pace his routes dependent on route combination and the shell coverage they’re facing, doing well to sneak past bodies on more delayed play-action concepts
• Understands where he can find green grass and how to make himself available for his quarterback on secondary reaction plays

Ball-tracking, positioning & catching:

• Led the country last year with insane, acrobatic catches last season
• His ability to elevate and snatch the ball out of the air is jaw-dropping, but it’s the consistency at which he frames the ball with that I really appreciate – only dropped three of 100 catchable passes as a Gator
• Understands really well how to become the one leaning into DBs as they trail him on fade routes and creating extra space for the ball to be dropped into him
• Showcases tremendous focus when having to reach behind himself and deal with contact at the catch-point due to the ball-placement inviting the defender back into the picture
• Hauls in some challenging passes where he has to work back towards the quarterback and scooping them inches off the turf
• His awareness for the sideline and how he can speed up getting his feet down in bounds when having to jump for the pass is already pretty advanced
• Shows a real knack for how to slow himself down just enough to secure the catch but not allow a closing defender to get a clean wrap on him with the ball arriving just behind him

Run after catch & blocking:

• Does well to turn his body away from oncoming defenders and regularly shakes off would-be-tacklers trying to grab him around his hips
• Glides with the ball in his hands, with such efficient transitions thanks to great flexibility in his lower half
• Has some good wiggle and hesitates well to navigate around blockers in space as part of the screen game – in particular on tunnel screens, where he’ll at times dip inside and then cuts back out to the sideline as he sees defenders shoot in too aggressively
• Quickly erases space towards defenders as a blocker near the point of attack, to get into their frame
• His quickness is key in the ability to mirror defenders who are looking for a path to work around him in the run or quick screen game
• Takes excellent angles to slide in front of safeties when lined up closer to the action and does a pretty good job of fitting his hands into their chest initially
• Almost instantly transitions into being a blocker once he sees the ball completed to one of his teammates
• Florida regularly used Ricky Pearsall as eye-candy for the defense, faking jet sweeps, end-arounds, screens, etc., where he can bring great value since he’s a threat on those if the ball is flipped to him

Weaknesses:

• Presents a fairly slender build and may have some play strength concerns if he faces press coverage at a higher rate in the pros
• Quarterback play was clearly a factor in limiting this, but Pearsall didn’t make a lot of big plays down the field, considering his speed
• You like him gliding through cuts much better than being abrupt, such as snapping off curl routes and attacking back downhill
• Lacks pop in his hands to set the tone at contact and the strength in his lower body to sustain as a blocker, which physical safeties slide off regularly when he’s tasked with them

Ricky Pearsall's 2024 NFL Draft projection

Ricky Pearsall at NFL Combine

I was obviously aware of Ricky Pearsall during the fall, watching some of the insane Sportscenter-level catches he made, but I didn’t really get into his tape until we got to spring, because there wasn’t a ton to get excited about on this Florida offense.

Yet, when I saw how easy he made it look to create separation during his two Senior Bowl practices and the amounts of times he was open during actual games but the ball didn’t come his way, I was pretty blown away.

You’d be best served to play Ricky Pearsall off the ball at the Z or in the slot and it’s necessarily going to be running these price quick-breaking routes, but this guy can create a lot more explosives when he’s paired up with a real NFL quarterback.

Slick Rick pairs elusiveness with the gliding speed to beat defenses over the top, yet he does really well to pace his routes when necessary. He offers steadiness with his 3.6% career drop but complements that with the dramatic, looking at some of the aerial feats to come down with those highlight-reel grabs.

Grade: Late second round