The San Francisco 49ers got some bad news in their receiver room this summer. Ricky Pearsall, who was ticketed for a big role in 2026, will instead miss the entire season.
It's a big disappointment for the 49ers and Pearsall. Since being drafted in the first round in 2024, Pearsall has never played in more than 11 games in a season, and he'll end up with just 20 games played over three years.
As a result, Pearsall could enter the 2027 season in a much different position than he would have been in this year. Cameron Sheath of PFSN recently revealed his 2027 mock, and it spells bad news for Pearsall.
49ers Projected to Draft Omarion Miller in 2027
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Sheath has the 49ers taking Arizona State receiver Omarion Miller with the No. 26 pick. Miller is preparing for his first season with the Sun Devils after spending the previous three seasons at Colorado.
"Ricky Pearsall’s path to NFL success continues to narrow with every injury layoff, and it’s not as if the team’s other skill players are pillars of health either," Sheath explained. "De’Zhaun Stribling’s early second-round draft capital didn’t stop the 49ers from bringing back Deebo Samuel Sr. after Pearsall’s latest injury setback, which is telling. Miller’s 6.4 yards after the catch per reception in 2025 suggests he’d be perfect for Kyle Shanahan and a seamless successor to Samuel in the slot."
As Sheath mentioned, it seems like injuries are going to continue to be a problem for Pearsall at this point. There's no denying he's a great player when healthy, but that doesn't matter all that much if you're never healthy.
The team did use a second-round pick on De'Zhaun Stribling this year, but that shouldn't matter. Kyle Shanahan knows how to scheme players open, and the more talented receivers, the better.
Miller played in 11 games in 2025 and caught 45 passes for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. The receiver led the Big 12 with 18.0 yards per reception, showing his ability to be a real deep threat. As Sheath mentioned, Miller also excels with the ball in his hands after he makes a catch.
Stribling is promising, and Mike Evans is under contract for two more years after 2026. Adding Miller to that group would give the 49ers a very talented trio, and anything Pearsall can contribute in the future would just be icing on the cake.
