Everybody has their guys, and for Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was one of his 2024 NFL Draft sleepers.
DeCosta said he was hoping Pearsall would be available for the Ravens "at some point," and was surprised when he went at No. 31 to the San Francisco 49ers – one pick after Baltimore chose cornerback Nate Wiggins.
"It was a great pick. I give those guys a lot of credit," DeCosta said of the 49ers.
"I thought [Pearsall] was a guy that we might get that was a sleeper for us at some point. He really wasn't a hot, hot commodity name. But that was another guy when you watched his game, he's a super impressive player on tape."
Pearsall caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns last season at Florida. He made one of the best plays of the year with a leaping one-handed circus catch that he held onto despite taking a huge hit.
Pearsall was generally viewed as a second-round prospect by draft analysts, but he boosted his stock at the Combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, posting the fastest three-cone drill of the receivers, and having one of the highest vertical leaps.
Wide receivers were drafted with four straight picks after the Ravens picked Wiggins – Pearsall, Xavier Leggette (Panthers), Keon Coleman (Bills), and Ladd McConkey (Chargers). Only one more receiver, Adonai Mitchell to the Colts at pick No. 52, went before the Ravens were back on the clock in Round 2 at No. 62.
DeCosta and the Ravens got their wideout in the fourth round, pouncing on Devontez Walker, who, along with cornerback T.J. Tampa, was at the top of their board entering Day 3. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah and The Athletic's Dane Brugler both had Walker ranked as their No. 93 player overall. The Ravens got him at No. 113.
Wide receivers Jermaine Burton (Bengals, No. 80), Jalen McMillan (Buccaneers, No. 92), Luke McCaffrey (Commanders, No. 100), and Javon Baker (Patriots, No. 110) all were ranked below Walker on Jeremiah and Brugler's boards but were drafted ahead.
"I never thought Tez would have been there in the fourth round," DeCosta said.
