The 49ers’ selection of De’Zhaun Stribling at No. 33 raised eyebrows right away, but the reason San Francisco wanted him may have less to do with highlight-reel catches than with everything else he brings to the table.
Veteran fullback Kyle Juszczyk pointed to one moment in OTAs that stuck with him. “I think in our second OTA, he was asked to cut off the defensive end on the backside of the ball, and he so willingly and impressively did so...
I think he’s going to do a lot of [pass catching], but I think in order to play in Kyle’s offense, you have to really be willing to do everything. So for him... to stick his face into a defensive lineman, I was really impressed,” the fullback said.
That kind of buy-in matters in a system that asks more from its receivers than just separation and hands. Stribling’s role in the passing game is still something of an open question, especially with the offseason addition of Mike Evans and several other options competing for work behind him. Even so, he could still emerge as the top target opposite Evans, and Juszczyk’s praise only strengthens that possibility.
The bigger point is that San Francisco may have been targeting a rookie who understands the unglamorous side of the job. Plenty of young players enter the league expecting the ball to come their way immediately, only to find out that coaches care just as much about blocking, effort, and the details that keep drives alive. The source article points to Jameson Williams as an example of a player who had to embrace Dan Campbell’s run-blocking emphasis before becoming Jared Goff’s trusted secondary option, and to Patriots rookie running back TreyVeon Henderson, who was expected to handle most of the carries before pass-blocking issues left him behind the aging Rhamondre Stevenson.
That context makes Stribling’s profile look a lot less puzzling. The 49ers appear to have valued more than pure receiving talent when they made the pick, and Kyle Shanahan’s offense has long rewarded players who handle the full assignment. Stribling’s size and speed - 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, with a 4.36 40-yard dash - only add to the appeal.
For a pick that drew plenty of skepticism, the early signs are encouraging. If Stribling develops the way the 49ers hope, Brock Purdy could end up with a dangerous tandem of Stribling and Evans, while Christian McCaffrey may benefit from the extra attention that kind of threat would demand.
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