SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers' 2024 first- and second-round draft picks already have met on the field and, oddly, it nearly created an awkward moment for coach Kyle Shanahan.
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco's pick at No. 31 overall, visited team headquarters for the first time Friday morning with his family. During his tour, he ended up in the office of his new coach, who was watching college game film.
The matchup on Shanahan's monitor just happened to be the 2023 Florida-Florida State game, in which Pearsall played and his Gators lost 24-15. Shanahan wasn’t reviewing the film on his first-round pick, though, but rather on the cornerback he hoped to select (and did select) later in the day -- Florida State's Renardo Green.
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"I didn't want him to think I was still judging him," Shanahan said, "so I turned the Florida tape off. It was Florida State I was watching."
Shanahan believed it could have appeared that he hadn't seen enough tape of his newest wide receiver and was brushing up on his film study, which clearly wasn't the case. Shanahan also didn't want to tip off anyone to whom the 49ers might target on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft.
It turns out Green and Pearsall didn't face off much on Nov. 25, 2023, in Gainesville. Pearsall registered only one catch for 17 yards, while Green made four tackles and allowed two catches on two targets for 15 yards.
"They didn't match up a lot, but there were some cool clips from that game," Shanahan said. "[Green] was on the outside, and Ricky was on the inside. I think Florida State was undefeated, so …"
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Pearsall and Green both add depth and skill at their respective positions, and also bring versatility. Pearsall has experience at all three receiver positions, potentially adding another dimension to Shanahan's offense, and 49ers general manager John Lynch believes Green can play multiple secondary spots, too, with his experience on the outside, in the slot and even at safety.
"We like that a lot," Lynch said. "We've seen [Green] play outside, believe and know he can play outside. But he's also wired the right [way] to play inside. There just isn’t a lot of tape on it. But that’s something we believe, that he can do both."
So, expect some lively competition between two of the newest 49ers at training camp in late July.
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