2024 was a rough season for the San Francisco 49ers for many reasons, but there were some bright spots. The emergence of 2024 first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall was a positive development, and some are predicting a big 2025 for Pearsall.
Pro Football Focus recently released a list of predictions for potential breakout candidates in 2025 for every team. The full article can be read here (subscription required).
PFF predicts that Pearsall is a prime breakout candidate for the Niners next season.
This prediction is not a huge surprise especially since Pearsall got better as the 2024 season went on. He showed some positive signs with his early action in the season once he was healthy but then went a few games without getting much action at all. In Week 17 against the Detroit Lions, he hauled in eight receptions for 141 receiving yards and one touchdown reception in what was a breakout performance. He followed that up with another solid performance in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals with 69 receiving yards and another touchdown catch.
He ended the season with a total of 400 receiving yards on 31 receptions and three touchdown catches in 11 games played. Given everything Pearsall went through in 2024, those numbers are pretty solid. He was shot in the chest in August but miraculously survived the incident and made his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The fact that he played at all in 2024 was amazing. The fact that he actually looked good and clearly gained a lot of confidence as the year went on bodes very well for 2025. He now has a full offseason where he can more fully gain a grasp of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense and develop more of a rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy. The two clearly got on the same page more and more as 2024 went on, so it would not come as a huge shock to see Pearsall take the next step and become an even larger and more important part of the offense in his second season.
With San Francisco already having so many weapons on offense, Pearsall has an opportunity to be a guy who flies under the radar. Opposing defenses may be more concerned with stopping wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, not to mention tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey, which could allow Pearsall to get wide open if teams pay more attention to other players.
Pearsall’s story was remarkable in 2024, and he has the chance to make it even more remarkable in 2025 if he is able to become the breakout player that PFF predicts he will be.
