USA TODAY Sports ranks Ricky Pearsall among top 50 draftees

The NFL draft is coming up and football fans are getting fired up for the apex of the sport’s spring season. Unfortunately for Florida Gators fans, there is not too much to be excited about but at least there is one former standout whose stock has been rising meteorically in recent weeks.

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, a two-year Gainesville resident after transferring from the Arizona State Sun Devils two offseasons ago, had an impressive pair of campaigns with the Orange and Blue despite a lackluster quarterback room. Between his consistently superlative efforts and highlight-reel plays, the 6-foot-1-inch, 189-pound pass-catcher had put together a solid collegiate resume heading into the pros.

USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz recently undertook the task of ranking the top 50 prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, with Pearsall landing at No. 47. He explains why the talented receiver made the cut.

“With his crisp routes, reliable hands and impressive body control, Pearsall should quickly endear himself to his future quarterback as a highly efficient slot weapon,” Middlehurst-Schwartz notes.

“Though he posted some explosive marks at the combine (4.41-second 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical leap), he likely will be relegated to a short-to-intermediate target unless he proves he can consistently beat press coverage and create separation downfield.”