49ers fans look back on the 2024 NFL Draft

During the 2024 NFL Draft, several outlets reported that the San Francisco 49ers were selecting Unanimous All-American Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean with the No. 31 pick. That report obviously proved to be false, as the team took Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall instead. Fans speculated that the organization leaked the information to identify a mole. Conspiracy theories aside, the 49er Faithful remember what could have been.

They watched DeJean record a pick-six off Patrick Mahomes en route to the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 Super Bowl victory versus the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday. His breakthrough brought out some hard feelings. Unfortunately, Pearsall was collateral damage.

“Anyone else remember the 2 minutes when Cooper DeJean was a 49er?” Rob “Stats” Guerrera posted on X during Super Bowl 59. “Just remember we could have had DeJean but we chose Ricky Pearsall instead because {Kyle} Shanahan knows best,” @iCap4Coochie said.

“The Niners drafting Pearsall over DeJean will haunt me forever,” @FridgeHN1C remarked. “I love Ricky Pearsall but honestly Cooper DeJean was a slam dunk pick at 31 and they chose a career #2/3 WR instead,” @tonyrenghini posted.

The Eagles scooped up their future Super Bowl hero with the No. 40 overall pick, and the rest is history. Even so, it is a bit early to dismiss Pearsall.

49ers chose to trust Ricky Pearsall amid WR uncertainty

The 24-year-old WR was shot in an attempted robbery back in August, which obviously made for an extremely difficult start to his rookie year. He ended the season strong, however, recording 14 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers’ final two games of the 2024-25 campaign. Pearsall finished with 31 catches, 400 yards and three scores.

Time will tell if the front office made the right decision, but general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan clearly prioritized offense in the first round. Brandon Aiyuk’s contract status was up in the air and Deebo Samuel’s long-term future remained uncertain, prompting San Francisco to seek an insurance policy.

Aiyuk is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL and Samuel just requested a trade, so perhaps the 49ers were justified in grabbing a WR. But there were other options on the board who wound up having more productive inaugural NFL seasons, like Ladd McConkey and Keon Coleman. A healthy Ricky Pearsall one year removed from a traumatic event could possibly look the part of a first-round talent.

Though, until that happens, if it does at all, 49ers fans will stew while they imagine Cooper DeJean in scarlet and gold.