The 49ers came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with eight new faces, and a couple of them are already carrying more baggage than most rookies do before camp even opens.
That’s what happens when a front office keeps zigging while the rest of the league zags. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have taken heat for draft classes that drift from the consensus board, and this year’s group is no different. CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards put wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and running back Kaelon Black on his list of the NFL’s most-pressured first-year players in 2026.
The two cases, though, are not built the same.
Stribling’s name has been tied to San Francisco since draft night in a way that naturally fuels the noise. The 49ers were reportedly prepared to take him at No. 27 in the first round before trading back twice and landing him at No. 33 overall.
Even with the slide, that was still early enough for plenty of people to label it one of the draft’s bigger reaches. San Francisco, for its part, pushed back on that idea and said Stribling was one of only 16 prospects it graded as a “gold helmet” player league-wide.
Still, the actual football situation may soften the blow if his rookie year is merely ordinary. Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall are likely ahead of him on the depth chart, and Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are still going to soak up targets. That means Stribling may not be asked to carry much right away, which takes some of the heat off even if the pick itself keeps getting dissected.
Black is the one who looks like he’s stepping into a real pressure cooker.
San Francisco’s track record with Day 2 and Day 3 running backs hasn’t given anybody much reason for confidence. Joe Williams, Trey Sermon, Tyrion Davis-Price and Isaac Guerendo are all part of that history, and Black has already said he wants to be the guy who changes it. To do that, he has to win the job and produce.
The opportunity is there. Brian Robinson Jr. is gone in free agency, which leaves the backup role behind McCaffrey open.
Jordan James, Patrick Taylor and Guerendo - who is recovering from a torn pectoral injury - are the main names in the mix. James entered the offseason as the presumed front-runner, but Black is reportedly flashing at practice already.
That’s why Black feels like the more pressure-packed pick of the two. His selection was widely criticized by draft evaluators, so if he claims the No. 2 job and gives McCaffrey some real help, it would go a long way toward validating a move most outsiders didn’t love. If he doesn’t, it’s another middle-round swing that misses for a front office already taking plenty of flak.
The rookies report to the 49ers’ facility for training camp on July 18. Veterans come in a week later on July 25, with practice dates still to be announced, though they usually begin in the next day or two.
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