After a disappointing 5-7 season, Florida football will be few and far between regarding representation at next month’s NFL draft. Just two former Gators earned an invite to the 2024 NFL Daft Scouting Combine, a steep drop off from when they were an annual SEC powerhouse in the late 2000s. Carrying the mantle for last year’s group of Florida Gators are offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. According to the NFL Draft Mock Database, Pearsall ranks as the clear-cut favorite among the two, earning a second-round draft grade. However, NFL fantasy football analyst Austin Abbott remains even higher on the Texas native, comparing him to an already-established pass catcher.
Florida Football Ricky Pearsall: Earns High Praise
Austin Abbott, well-known in fantasy football circles, gushes over Pearsall, an expected second-round draft pick. Abbott says that Pearsall “is a freak athlete, leading Florida in receiving yards the past TWO seasons. His hands are also wildly underrated in that span.”
𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗹 will be a 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 in the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗡𝗙𝗟 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁
He 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 a 𝟵.𝟵𝟬 out of 𝟭𝟬.𝟬𝟬 on his 𝗥𝗔𝗦 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯𝟮𝗻𝗱 out of 𝟯,𝟭𝟮𝟭 𝗪𝗥’𝘀 from 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟳 to 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.
𝙉𝙁𝙇 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙚: (𝟲’𝟭,… pic.twitter.com/GbBJDRg7M7
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) March 25, 2024
Pearsall had one of the highest RAS scores in NFL combine history. RAS pushes each measurement into one aggregate number that scouts and analysts can use to compare players within a position group. He also had the fastest three-cone drill time (6.64 seconds) while running a 4.41 40-yard dash. The Arizona native measures six feet one inch and 190 pounds, giving him comparable measurables to Georgia’s Ladd McConkey and Alabama’s Jermaine Burton. Additionally, Abbott gives Pearsall a comp to current New Orleans Saints standout Chris Olave.
Ricky Pearsall: Ends Five-Year College Career
Pearsall started his college career with his hometown Arizona State Sun Devils, where he spent three seasons. After snagging 13 receptions for 214 yards and a touchdown across his first two seasons, the now-23-year-old transferred to the Florida Gators. He accumulated 33 receptions for 661 yards and five touchdowns during his inaugural season with Florida Football. He averaged 20 yards per reception. However, he had his best statistical season last year. Pearsall registered 65 receptions for 965 yards and four scores. He led the Gators in receiving yards each of the past two seasons.
Despite not ranking as a top-ten draft prospect, Pearsall projects as a second-round draft pick on most sites. The 2024 NFL draft will feature one of the deepest receiving classes of all time, headlined by Marvin Harrison Jr., formerly of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Meanwhile, LSU will likely have two receivers near the top of the draft board: Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
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