Deebo listed as starter on 49ers depth chart

It sounds like Stribling will practice in some capacity today. The second-round rookie has been sidelined since Saturday, so logging a limited session is likely. The 49ers have been hit hard by injuries, particularly in the wide receiver room. The depth chart has not yet been established, but Stribling has a very real chance to carve out a starting role before the season begins.

The injuries continue to mount for the 49ers early in camp. Evans is reportedly dealing with a quad strain that we will hopefully learn more about later, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) and Kaelon Black (adductor) are also missing Monday’s practice due to injuries. The recent string of injuries now makes for four receivers the Niners have seen go down in camp, with Christian Kirk (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) both being injured last week. We will check back in when we receive updates on the status of these players.

The rookie wide receiver is reportedly dealing with “hamstring tightness” and the team stressed the fact that it was not a strain, likely indicating he will be back on the practice field in short order. That said, the team could look to take it slow with their No. 33 overall pick after losing fellow receiver Ricky Pearsall to knee surgery earlier in the day. For now, fantasy managers can simply monitor the situation in the coming days.

The deal is worth “up to” $7 million, presumably with the “up to” doing some heavy lifting. Trying to wait out underwhelming free agent offers until the right opportunity presented itself, 30-year-old Samuel has found the perfect opportunity in reuniting with coach Kyle Shanahan and company. Although his efficiency had been declining even before last season’s trade to the Commanders, we have little doubt it will rebound to a degree under Shanny. The question becomes where he fits in a receiver jigsaw that includes an injured Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk, aging Mike Evans, and unproven De’Zhaun Stribling. Samuel isn’t going to be the usage monster of his prime, but then again, the 49ers also lack proven backfield touches behind Christian McCaffrey. Perhaps even “rushing Samuel” will be in for something of a revival. Although summer fantasy drafters might have been hoping for Samuel to end up in a skill corps with less touch competition, this is ultimately a good outcome for those hoping for top-40 upside.

The swelling is believed to be related to the PCL injury he dealt with last year. That he is still dealing with a lingering issue from 2025 after missing much of his rookie season for other reasons is more than a little concerning for fantasy managers. Christian Kirk is also being held out of practice right now, meaning rookie De’Zhaun Stribling seemingly has the inside track for No. 2 duties right now. With no timeline for his return, Pearsall should tumble down draft boards in the coming days. Stribling, on the other hand, is firmly in the FLEX mix, even in redraft leagues.

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.

In a mailbag column, Alexander was asked specifically if the Texans had any interest in adding Deebo Samuel. Alexander writes that the Texans like their current receiver group and will give them every opportunity to show what they’ve got in training camp. Samuel has had an extremely quiet free agency compared even to other veterans like Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen, and it’s puzzling from the outside because Samuel was still putting up solid YAC numbers last year and didn’t appear to have lost a step. He’s still a threat to pop back on to the fantasy radar if he lands in a good situation.

He cautions that there’s still a possibility the Ravens address the position late in free agency, as Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel, and DeAndre Hopkins remain available. Still, he has the experience edge over the two rookie receivers and barring an injury stash situation it’s hard to understand the Ravens not keeping two players they just drafted. Considering Lamar Jackson’s history and the potential upside in Declan Doyle’s offense, Walker is an interesting buy in fantasy at this point — it’s just hard to make the case that he’s got a real floor.

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.