Ricky Pearsall dealing with swelling in his knee

We know, stop the presses that a quarterback likes one of his receivers. The extent of Purdy’s praise is nevertheless notable, especially with veteran Christian Kirk already shelved by a calf injury. “Dude is a baller, and I mean that,” Purdy began. “It’s hard to say that for a rookie, right off the jump, but just seeing him run routes. ... He’s smart. He’s learned the playbook really quick, which is awesome. And then, on top of that, you can see his strength, too.” Purdy went on for several more sentences. It’s still laughably early in the training camp process — the pads have yet to really come on — but Stribling was a controversial selection where immediate praise could not be taken for granted. The next step will be impressing coach Kyle Shanahan once the boss returns from injuries sustained in a car accident. There are snaps and targets for the taking in a receiver corps being remade on the fly this season.

Barrow said Stribling, taken with the 33rd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is "[Jajuan] Jennings-like” in his willingness to block for ball carriers down the field. Shanahan has said the team’s explosive rush rate dropped in 2025 because they lacked solid wideout blocking with Jennings — now with the Vikings — missing much of the season. “Stribling doesn’t have Jennings’ size or length, and he must build the kind of receiver-quarterback chemistry Jennings had with Brock Purdy in recent years,” Barrow said. “Still, Stribling is faster and offers big-play ability the 49ers were missing last season.” The rookie is not expected to get heavy playing time to begin the 2026 season, and it appears the Niners drafted him for his intangibles and willingness to block for Christian McCaffrey. Stribling, 23, had a 38th percentile college target share at Ole Miss.

Stribling gets a $13.5 million deal with a $6.3 million signing bonus, which comes with a $2.5 million salary cap hit in 2026. The 49ers brought him board with the No. 33 overall pick, which generated mixed responses. Stribling will compete for a starting role in three-wide receiver sets right away, but likely begins training camp as the penciled-in No. 4 wide receiver behind Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk.

Niners officials said Stribling, surprisingly taken with the 33rd pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, was a “gold helmet” rookie prospect due to his intangibles. “Our coach loved him right away. Leadership. Goal-oriented,” Ahmad said of Stribling, 23, who had a 38th percentile college target share at Ole Miss. “The passion the guy has, the work ethic, the toughness, the durability. He checks all those boxes at a high level.” Entering the league, Stribling’s production leaves a lot to be desired. He had just 811 yards and six touchdowns in his final collegiate season and was projected as a third our fourth rounder before the Niners selected him with the first pick of the second round. ESPN reported last week that Stribling would probably not function as a starting wideout to begin the 2026 regular season, leaving Ricky Pearsall as a locked-in starter alongside Mike Evans.

Wagoner lists Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, and Christian Kirk as the current top of the depth chart for the 49ers. We wouldn’t be shocked if Stribling made a move on Kirk at some point in the 2026 season, and none of the three wideouts are exactly known for their durability at this point in their careers. Stribling belongs in the WR5 conversation even if the season is likely to start out slow for him.

The 49ers continue to remake their receiver corps in aggressive fashion, this time with a 23-year-old wideout who was a “riser” throughout the pre-draft process. A five-year FBS contributor, Stribling (6’2/207) enrolled at Wazzu in 2021 before transferring to Oklahoma State in 2023. He settled in at Ole Miss for his final college season in 2025. A legit “size/speed” prospect (4.36-second 40), Stribling is also a hellacious blocker. That should get him on the field as a rookie for taskmaster coach Kyle Shanahan, but it’s his receiving skills that will hopefully keep him there. Stribling is physical player with excellent long speed. He profiles as an immediate field stretcher, though he may never be a high-volume target earner. Of course, anything is possible for a wideout going at No. 33 overall. Stribling is now very much in the Round 2 mix in rookie dynasty drafts.

Stribling, a five-year college player, ran a 4.36-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He caught a career-high 55 passes while producing 811 yards and six touchdowns in his final college season. He spent two seasons apiece at Washington State and Oklahoma State before heading to Ole Miss. His speed and size (6'2/207) will intrigue some front offices.

Unsurprising given that he entered this week looking like he was one big hit from being sidelined again as he continues to battle through the knee injury that defined his season. After a breakout first three weeks where he crossed 100 yards twice, Pearsall spent the rest of the season dealing with a PCL injury and never seemed fully healthy again. We wouldn’t be surprised if he pops up with an offseason surgery. Nevertheless, his age-26 season in 2026 looks to be in a great spot if he can rehab this and get to Week 1 healthy. Brandon Aiyuk looks likely to be released. George Kittle will be rehabbing his torn Achilles early in the season. Jauan Jennings is not a guarantee to be back. Pearsall looks like a WR2 candidate as one of the trustable targets in a Kyle Shanahan offense. “Get to Week 1 healthy,” of course, is not a minor ask for Pearsall based on his first two seasons.

Pearsall was questionable coming into the game, but he had been getting in limited practices, so he had been trending towards playing. It’s a nice boost for a 49ers offense that will be without George Kittle (Achilles). The 49ers inactives are: S Ji’Ayir Brown, RB Isaac Guerendo, WR Jordan Watkins, DE Robert Beal Jr., DT Kevin Givens, DT Sebastian Valdez, and OT Brandon Parker.

Pearsall has been practicing in a limited capacity this week. He was entirely unable to practice last week, so the increased participation is a positive sign. Pearsall aggravated the PCL sprain in his knee at the end of a 30-yard play against the Bears in Week 18. He told reporters that he “landed straight on [his] knee,” and he “just can’t take tackles like that right now.” Instead, he must “adjust a little bit within [his] game.” Getting out of bounds would have been the “wiser move.” Pearsall is seemingly on track to play, but he may be stuck running vertical routes along the sideline.