49ers rookie De’Zhaun Stribling earns cautiously optimistic praise from respected NFL analyst

The San Francisco 49ers have probably seen enough from rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling through training camp and two preseason games. He has tallied 11 receptions for 109 yards in those exhibition matchups, justifying the 49ers' decision to select him with the No. 33 overall pick—a move that was criticized when it was made.

Stribling has earned the respect of his teammates, including veteran wide receiver Mike Evans.

"He's a rookie, but he's a pro," Evans said during the 49ers' web series, The Build. "He's been a pro—the way he practices, the way he prepares. He's going to make a lot of plays for us this year."

Respected NFL analyst Greg Cosell joined Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game on Wednesday (h/t to Niners Wire) and shared his thoughts on the first-year wideout, who could contribute to the 49ers' offense earlier than most expected.

"I've not seen practice, but what I've seen in the games is exactly what I saw on tape," Cosell said. "And I think that's always a really good sign for a player, when what you see—and like I said, I'm not there every day—but what I saw in the two preseason games was very representative of what I saw on his college tape, both at Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. And I think that's a really positive sign when a player looks the same in his first year in the NFL as he did in college."

Cosell is cautiously optimistic about Stribling's future, noting that preseason success doesn't always translate into a lengthy and productive NFL career. At the same time, in his opinion, the rookie has demonstrated strong traits that NFL teams look for in top pass catchers.

"Now, obviously, we haven't played a regular-season game yet, so we're not going to anoint him an All-Pro," Cosell said. "But there's a couple of things that really stand out. Number one, he catches the ball with his hands. He's clearly got very, very strong hands, because he catches the ball away from his frame."

Cosell added that Stribling showed a good ability to create separation in his limited playing time last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, along with an ability to make plays on the football when targeted on tight-window throws.

"The other thing I really like, what they're doing with him, which I assume they're doing in practice as well, is they're giving him meaningful snaps both outside and in the slot, which means they see him as a movement player within the context of their offense," Cosell noted. "Because the bottom line is Mike Evans will be the boundary X."

The 49ers may have seen enough from Stribling to hold him out of their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. Either way, the rookie is shaping up to be a promising draft pick who can contribute in 2026.

That could be especially important for a 49ers receiving corps that lost projected starter Ricky Pearsall for the season. If Stribling can carry his preseason production into the regular season, he could quickly become an important part of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.