De’Zhaun Stribling is making a strong early impression in San Francisco, and the first thing that’s jumping out isn’t some flashy one-handed grab or highlight-reel circus catch. It’s the way he uses his hands.
49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said that part of Stribling’s game has stood out most during training camp.
“ I ain’t gonna lie - No. 1 is his hands, ” Lenoir said, via The Athletic.
Lenoir pointed to Stribling’s ability to snag balls away from his frame and finish through contact, calling out the receiver’s strong fingertips and natural catch radius.
“ I would say him just catching away from his body, just kind of trusting his hands, ” Lenoir said of Stribling’s strength. “ He’s got that catch radius where he’s gonna catch it away from his body. He’s got strong fingertips.”
That theme carried over to the offensive side of the ball, where 49ers wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson said Stribling has been reliable in contested situations. Hankerson said the rookie isn’t just getting a hand on the ball - he’s winning the fight for it.
“ It’s not just that he’s catching it, ” Hankerson said. “ He’s strong.
He’s attacking it. He’s stepping back to (the ball).
With the contested catch situation, he’s able to come down with a lot of those. Right now, I can’t really recall him putting one on the ground.”
Quarterback Mac Jones also singled out Stribling’s speed, and the way it carries over even when the ball is in the air.
“ I call him the Flyin’ Hawaiian because he’s so fast, ” Jones said. “ He has, like, a second gear when the ball’s in the air.
Some guys are really fast, but when the ball goes up and your eyes go up, you slow down. But he doesn’t do that, so it’s pretty impressive.
”
Elsewhere in the division, Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie had plenty to say about Matthew Stafford, calling the veteran quarterback one of the league’s very best and praising the way he manipulates defenses.
“ He’s the best. He’s the best, ” McDuffie said, via Rams Wire.
“ I mean, you talk about technique, you talk about eye progression, you talk about somebody who can no-look you, who knows every defense. I mean, every coverage you play, he’s seen, he’s gone against it, he’s attacked it, he’s broken it down.
You can just tell that he’s somebody who knows what he’s doing. You know, it’s one, two, three, ball out.
One, two, three, ball out. Like, he’s looking you off to throw the other way.
”
And in Seattle, Jadarian Price is giving the Seahawks something different out of the backfield. With Zach Charbonnet injured, Sam Darnold said the former Notre Dame running back has already shown he can affect the offense in a variety of ways.
“He’s a special player,” Darnold said, via the team’s website. “He’s a really special player.
He brings a different facet to the offense that only a guy like him can bring. Whether it’s catching passes out of the backfield, catching screens, running in between the tackles, outside of the tackles, he can really do it all.
And I know he’s just going to continue to get better and learn.”
In Other News...
Seahawks Receiver Injuries Just Opened A Huge Audition For One Draft Pick
The Seahawks receiver room has been tested early by injuries to Jake Bobo and Tory Horton, and that has created a clearer path for Emmanuel Henderson Jr. to get a real look in the preseason. The 2026 sixth-round pick is healthy, which matters at a time when Seattle is trying to sort out depth behind its top options and find players who can handle multiple roles if called upon.
Hendersons college career came with its own injury interruptions, but he still showed enough as both a receiver and a kick returner to remain interesting as a depth piece. Now the opportunity is in front of him, and these next preseason games could go a long way in determining whether he turns a temporary opening into something more lasting on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Ty Okada Might Be Seattles Most Intriguing Defensive Storyline
Ty Okada has quietly become one of the more interesting names on Seattles defense as he heads into his fourth season with the Seahawks. After arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2023, he worked his way into a much larger role last year, starting 11 games and making his presence felt with 65 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception.
What stands out now is less the rsum than the direction of the rise. Okada and teammate Ernest Jones IV both pointed to his growth, confidence and value to the defense as he gets ready for the 2026 season, and that kind of internal recognition usually says plenty about where a player stands in the room. The next question is how far that momentum can carry him once the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face Real Roster Pressure In Titans Tuneup
The Seahawks preseason opener in Dallas served up an early look at how much work still has to be done behind the top of the roster. Seattle had trouble across several second- and third-string groups, and the loss also came with a bigger setback when wide receiver Jake Bobo went down with a season-ending knee injury. For a team still sorting out depth and special-teams roles, the next few weeks are already carrying real weight.
Saturdays matchup with the Titans now feels like more than just another tuneup. Seattle has a crowded fight for the No. 3 cornerback job, and performances in the next preseason game could go a long way toward separating the players still in the mix. The Seahawks want a cleaner showing and a better sense of who can be trusted when roster decisions start getting final. [Read more 🡒]