Revamping the wide receiving corps around Patrick Mahomes might hold the key to the Kansas City Chiefs making a legitimate run at a third consecutive Super Bowl title, and even after signing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, general manager Brett Veach’s work isn’t done.
Brown adds a deep-threat element that the Chiefs lacked in 2023 but as the 2024 NFL Draft nears, Kansas One of the more intriguing, albeit less well-known, candidates in this year’s class may be City.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a squad that University of Florida first-round sleeper Ricky Pearsall should keep an eye on, according to Pro Football Focus.
According to Lauren Gray of PFF, “Wide receiver was a glaring need for Kansas City entering the offseason.” “And possibly much more so in light of the most recent Rashee Rice information. Free agent acquisition of Marquise Brown (67.1) by the Chiefs and his continued leadership of the receiving offense are tight end Travis Kelce (1,339 receiving yards). While Pearsall is another NFL-ready possibility, cornerback Kamari Lassiter would be a perfect match at No. 32.
Pearsall is the type of player who could benefit from top receivers going off the board in the top-10 picks, or a run on the position in the middle of the first round.
Last season, Pearsall averaged a healthy 14.8 yards per reception while pulling down 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns.
Pearsall’s route-running prowess and reliability could give him the chance to compete for meaningful snaps from the slot for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
There’s a reason Pearsall’s stock is rising, and it’s his consistent production.
Across five collegiate seasons, spending three years at Arizona State prior to transferring to Florida in 2022, Pearsall caught 159 passes for 2,420 yards with 14 touchdowns.
“Dependable slot target with good size and soft hands,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of Pearsall. “Who will need to prove that he has the ability to free himself against NFL man coverage. Pearsall might get the stereotypical “crafty route runner” label. But, it suits him.
He seems to be experimenting with different coverage looks and leverages. He also plays with a steady route tempo and attention to detail to open windows, but his foot quickness isn’t optimal for beating the press and keeping separation.
Pearsall had an exceptional drop rate of just 3%, according to Pro Football Focus, and 342 of his receiving yards came from long passes.
Pearsall has an abundance of it.
Gray describes him as being “praised for his quickness, route-running ability, and reliable hands.” Pearsall is regarded as one of the draft’s top slot receivers.
With Rice’s situation still unclear and Kadarius Toney struggling to convert his extraordinary athleticism into results, Pearsall might take over as Kansas City’s primary slot receiver.
Pearsall could see plenty of opportunities from the slot because of the attention secondaries must now give Brown and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce’s ability to transform any catch over the middle into an explosive play.
Depending on how many of the top receivers fall off the board in the first half of the first round, Pearsall might be a name to keep an eye on for Kansas City as the Chiefs attempt to drastically enhance Mahomes’ supporting cast.
