With the preseason in the books, De'Zhaun Stribling has gone from a debated draft choice to one of the most buzzed-about rookies in the league. The San Francisco 49ers wideout didn’t just flash in exhibition play - he forced his way into the conversation with the kind of speed and polish that can change a receiving room fast.
Stribling came off the board at No. 33 overall, the first pick in the second round, after general manager John Lynch traded down twice to add more selections. That was enough to spark some skepticism at the time. After what followed in the preseason, the criticism looks a lot quieter.
San Francisco had a clear need heading into the offseason: more explosion on the outside. The 2025 offense didn’t produce a single skill player who hit the 20 mph mark with the ball in hand, and the wide receiver group averaged only 127.7 receiving yards per game, which ranked 21st in the NFL.
Stribling fit the search perfectly. At Ole Miss, he put up 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns, then backed it up at the NFL Combine with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash.
At 6-foot-2, he brought the size and speed combo the 49ers were hunting for.
He wasn’t originally slotted to be front and center, but injuries changed the picture quickly. After Ricky Pearsall suffered a season-ending injury, Stribling moved up the depth chart and got more first-team work. He didn’t waste the opportunity.
His preseason debut was the kind of opening act that gets everyone’s attention. Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards in the first half alone, becoming just the second NFL receiver in the last decade to post seven catches in the first 20 minutes of a preseason game. Across the exhibition slate, he showed smooth route running, strong hands, and the kind of sideline awareness that translates.
The praise started coming from inside and outside the building.
Mike Evans (49ers WR): "He gets the job done. Strib gets the job done.
He's a rookie, but he's a pro. He's been a pro-the way he practices, the way he prepares.
He's going to make a lot of plays for us this year."
Kyle Shanahan (49ers Head Coach): "I liked how his hands looked out there and played physical."
Robert Saleh (Titans Head Coach): "That Stribling kid is going to be pretty good. He's a big, strong receiver."
While top overall picks like quarterback Fernando Mendoza and running back Jeremiyah Love came into the preseason with plenty of attention, their Week 1 situations are less certain. Mendoza is set to begin the year on the bench behind Kirk Cousins, and Love is working back from a preseason high ankle sprain.
Stribling, meanwhile, has already done the hard part: he made the 49ers notice.
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