The San Francisco 49ers used the first pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to address a need at wide receiver, adding De'Zhaun Stribling of Ole Miss with the 33rd selection overall.
The pick was the first of the 2026 NFL Draft for the 49ers, who landed at 33 after trading down twice from their original slot of pick 27 in the first round. Stribling will be in a position to develop with the 49ers due to the veteran presence of Ricky Pearsall, Mike Evans, and Christian Kirk. Here's what to know about Stribling as he heads to the Bay.
A little older, and drafted higher than expected
The 49ers haven't shied away in the past from drafting players who are a bit older than teams might generally want. Stribling fits into that category, as he will turn 24 years old in December. Among the older players the 49ers have drafted in recent years includes Pearsall, who was 23 when the team selected him in the first round of the 2024 draft.
The 49ers also have a history of drafting players higher than a number of online scouts have them ranked. Stribling was rated as the No. 68 overall player by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com and the number 76 overall player by ESPN.com. Former NFL receiver Steve Smith (more on him in a bit) projected Stribling as a fourth-round pick.
But, as they've shown in the past with a number of players, the 49ers won't wait around to see if the board falls the same way draft analysts expect it to. If they decide they want a particular player, they'll go get him.
There's plenty to like, however
Stribling has a fine combination of size and athleticism as he ran a 4.36 40 (1.53 10-yard split) at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 36-inch vertical jump while measuring in at 6-2 1/8 and 207 pounds. He was productive in college, totaling 216 catches for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns in 56 games.
Stribling's scouting reports reveal a number of traits that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan likes in his wide receivers, including yards-after-catch ability and blocking skills.
"Stribling has displayed good ball skills in his career, making back-shoulder catches and receptions well outside his frame," says ESPN.com's scouting profile. "If he finds open space after the catch, he can take it the distance. He is also a physical runner who is not afraid to lower his shoulder and fight for extra yards. In the run game, Stribling is a willing blocker and, at times, will mix it up in the box."
Stribling described his strengths as a receiver while talking to reporters at the Combine, saying (via KHON-2 Hawaii), "My ability to get open, my catch radius — when I get the ball in my hands, I feel like I'm very fast. I get all the yards that I can and I just make a lot of plays. I work very hard and create a lot of trust on the team. That's what I've done at all three places I've been. The team trusts me, and the coaches trust me a lot."
Well-traveled
Stribling took a long road to the 49ers. After spending time in North Carolina as a youth, Stribling moved to Hawaii, where he was a three-star prospect at Kapolei High School. Stribling committed to Washington State out of high school but didn't play football in 2020, starting his college career instead in 2021. He had 95 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons at Washington State before transferring to Oklahoma State following the 2022 season.
Stribling caught 66 passes for 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the Cowboys, then he transferred to Ole Miss for his final collegiate season. He caught 55 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns with the Rebels while helping them go on an unexpected run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Full circle
As mentioned, Stribling grew up in North Carolina, where he was a childhood fan of the Carolina Panthers. Not surprisingly, was the aforementioned Steve Smith, who was one of the all-time Panther greats.
"I like the way he played," Stribling told Hawaii Prep World in 2020. "Growing up, I always watched him. Really rugged guy. He was special."
As it turns out, Smith gave an evaluation of Stribling during a YouTube conversation before the second round of the NFL Draft. Stribling ranked outside of Smith's top 20 receiver prospects but was someone he wanted to include while talking about the best overall receivers.
"This is a physical boundary receiver with strong hands, will catch the ball in traffic," Smith said. "He has some work that he needs to do. But he has shown you some really good things. A physical boundary receiver is something... certain teams are looking for. They have their number one, but they're looking for someone else to fill it in. But they need a physical guy because they already have a finesse guy."
Background Tidbits
Stribling was just 5-6 as a high school freshman before growing to his current height of 6-2 before the end of high school. He also played basketball in high school and was a high jumper in track. Stribling also has an uncle whose name is familiar to long-time wrestling fans -- Don Muraco, who is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Here's a look at Stribling's highlights from his 2025 season:
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