What Ricky Pearsall Needs to Show at 49ers Rookie Minicamp

The 49ers will have their rookie minicamp next week, and Ricky Pearsall should be the best player on the field.

That's the expectation. He'll be the only first-round pick out there. He was the 49ers' top target in this year's draft. Let's see what he's got.

Can he beat the other rookie cornerbacks? His matchups with second-round pick Renardo Green should be a battle, but his matchups with the other rookies should be easy work for Pearsall. He's nearly 24 years old and he's not a development prospect. He's supposed to be extremely tough and polished as a route runner. So he should win right away.

We need to see how he catches passes over the middle. Is he fearless? Does he fully extend his arms and expose his body to potential punishment? If not, that's a problem, because he's going to be a slot receiver for the 49ers, meaning he's going to run lots of dig routes where he'll catch lots of passes near linebackers and safeties who want to hurt him.

When Dante Pettis was in his rookie minicamp, he aligator-armed a pass over the middle, which revealed everything the 49ers needed to know about him. He wasn't tough enough for their team.

I fully expect Pearsall to show no fear over the middle -- he was extremely tough in the SEC. I'm more curious to see how fast he plays. He ran a 4.41 at the Combine, so he tests fast, but does he play to that speed? Can he outrun the 49ers rookie cornerbacks on a fade route down the sideline? Or is he a slot receiver only?

We'll find out soon.