The San Francisco 49ers decided to trade back twice in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, with the second time seeing the Niners move out of Round 1 altogether. Nonetheless, they selected at the top of the second round and took former Ole Miss wideout De’Zhaun Stribling.
Last season with Ole Miss, Stribling posted a 74.7 overall PFF grade while hauling in 43 receptions on 57 targets for 612 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Moreover, Stribling averaged 14.2 yards per reception and generated 335 yards after the catch.
Stribling will look to make an impact on the 49ers’ offense as a rookie. However, even before he goes out on the field for any games, the wideout already has a fan in veteran fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
“He’s got a locker right next to me, and I’ve been super impressed with this guy,” Juszczyk told Rich Eisen on the May 22 edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.” “The maturity he has as a rookie stood out to me right away. He looks like an absolute beast on the field. The way he moves for his size is really impressive.
“We’ve only spent a week with him, but I’ve talked with Stribling and Kaelon Black, and I’ve been impressed with both of them. I’m excited about this class. I’ve heard great things about the rest of them from the defense and some of the other position groups, but those two in particular have stood out to me.”
49ers QB Brock Purdy Excited to Have De’Zhaun Stribling
Juszczyk isn’t the only 49ers veteran sharing his thoughts on the young wide receiver. Brock Purdy spoke with Laura Britt during the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event on May 20 and praised the rookie receiver’s athleticism and raw talent.
“Stribling’s a guy that has a lot of raw talent,” Purdy said (h/t 49ers Web Zone). “And just throwing routes on air and stuff to him, and getting a feel for how he moves, and his speed, he’s a guy that, once we obviously get him in the playbook a lot, and get reps with each other on the field, I feel like he’s going to be a guy that can come in and make an instant impact.
“And so, Kyle and [wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson] have done a really good job with just developing receivers and stuff. So, to have him in the fold, with the great receiving core that we have right now, it’s just amazing as a quarterback. I’m like, ‘Let’s go.’”
Brock Purdy Gets Blunt About Niners WR Group
Stribling is one of the new names in a new-look 49ers wideout group that will also include Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, and saw the departures of Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne. At the same time, Brandon Aiyuk has likely played his last down for the Niners amid his situation with the team.
With the new faces, Purdy is excited about this upcoming season.
“Our receiving [corps], as a whole, we’re really excited about right now,” Purdy added. “Everyone’s healthy and good. We’ve got to keep it going and just keep stacking days. And I think we’ve got a really good core, as a whole.”
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