De'Zhaun

Stribling

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.

Stribling (6'2/202) was the most effective receiver for the Cougars in the contest, making a couple of nice first-down grabs across the middle before helping the Cougars take the lead on a 26-yard deep-in pattern where the safety bit hard on his seam route before he cut it up for the easy touchdown grab. His 93 yard showing is more receiving yards than Stribling has accrued all year, as the promising freshman continues to improve. He will try to make it two games in a row with a touchdown reception next Saturday at Cal.