CJ Stroud’s baffling reaction to 49ers picking Ricky Pearsall (Via Imago/X)

While listening to the draft selections by various teams– not once made the reigning Rookie of the Year jumped off his seat and covered his face. Except one when the San Francisco 49ers picked Ricky Pearsall using their 31st overall pick.

The Niners attracted major attention with this draft selection, both negative and positive. While the negative part was mostly from the pundits, the football players gave a different vibe. As the 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk gave his approval for Pearsall by calling it a “fire pick.”

However, the Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud gave the entirely opposite reaction as he babbled about the pick, during his appearance on a Bleacher Report on-air draft discussion panel. The second-year quarterback appeared devastated when the Niners’ draft selection was announced and responded with an intense physical reaction.

“Damn,” he exclaimed as he bury his face in his arms and then distracted himself by using his phone.

I'm happy for him because he got to go in the first round and he gets more money. I've talked to him [Ricky Pearsall] a couple of times. Congrats, bro. That's big time. Bro, he's elite. You'll see. Especially in that offense, man, Kyle [Shanahan] is going to dial it up for him. That's why I feel like he was going to fit in our system…He's nasty, bro.

CJ Stroud then said after taking his time to process the information.

It wasn’t that the Texans’ star QB was undermining or questioning the 49ers’ decision, he was actually regretting losing Florida wideout, Pearsall. He wanted Pearsall to join the Texans roster and felt utterly bad for losing the opportunity to draft him.

CJ Stroud compared Ricky Pearsall to Tank Dell

The Texans signal-caller showered high praise on Pearsall and exclaimed he was the “one I wanted,” even though the Texans signed the star wide receiver Stefon Diggs earlier. Stroud even compared the young wideout to Tank Dell, who posted 47 catches for 709 yards and seven catches, last season.

Stroud said he had been observing Pearsall since he was with at Arizona State, and said at first, he thought the wideout was ‘okay’ but realized last year how good he is, when he put his game together.
Ricky Pearsall (Via Sports Illustrated)
Interestingly, Pearsall’s draft prediction had expected him to be drafted in the second round. The 23-year-old finished his final year with 1,027 all-purpose yards, including 965 receiving along with six touchdowns.