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As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will examine one team per weekday with our quick-hitting Team Sleepers feature. These players might not be deep sleepers, but we will be highlighting players our staff thinks will surprise this year and outperform their average draft position (ADP).
Go Deeper: See in-depth projections for every 49ers player here >>>
This is a weekday series that will stretch through August 1. If you like this and want another, come back the next workday. Another will be here.
Please note that our staff has identified the players listed below. The official Footballguys stance for every 49er can be found on our projections page.
Sleepers on the San Francisco 49ers
- WR Ricky Pearsall - 7 votes
- QB Brock Purdy - 3 votes
- RB Jordan James - 2 votes
- LB Dee Winters - 2 votes
- WR Jauan Jennings - 1 vote
- RB Christian McCaffrey - 1 vote
Reasons WR Ricky Pearsall Could Be a Sleeper
- Meng Song: Jauan Jennings is a good player, but Pearsall is younger and has a higher ceiling. Their ADPs should be flipped, with Pearsall being drafted earlier.
- Jason Wood: Pearsall didn't do much last year despite injuries opening up opportunities for playing time, but neither the beat writers nor coaches have soured on his developmental upside. With Brandon Aiyuk likely not ready for Week 1, Pearsall should have an opportunity to earn significant snaps with a strong preseason.
- Maurile Tremblay: Samuel's 51 vacated grabs and Aiyuk's likely PUP start provide cheap early-season volume upside.
- David Zacharias: Deebo Samuel Sr. was traded, and Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from multiple knee ligament tears. Pearsall is poised to be a key target in the 49ers' offense.
- Jeff Haseley: With Brandon Aiyuk still a giant question mark, I expect Pearsall to pick up some of the slack left by Deebo Samuel Sr.'s departure to Washington.
- Jeff Bell: Pearsall had an unpredictable start to his rookie season after a shooting incident, but an 8-14-1 line against Detroit in Week 17 shows his ceiling is intact.
- Andy Hicks: Pearsall got shot and then injured once he recovered, making momentum difficult. Look at how he played to close the season. That gives you an idea of what he can do as the WR1.