San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling is already embracing the opportunity to learn from one of the NFL's most accomplished veterans. Mike Evans was among several new teammates who reached out to the rookie after the draft, welcoming him to the team ahead of this week's rookie minicamp in Santa Clara.

For Stribling, hearing from Evans, who has enjoyed a phenomenal NFL career, carried extra meaning.


"It was nice," Stribling said. "I looked up to him a lot growing up, so it's kind of nice that I'm sharing a room with him. The opportunity to learn from him will be very special."

The 49ers selected Stribling with the belief that he can develop into a versatile, physical receiver within head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. Learning from Evans, one of the league's premier big-bodied wideouts, could help accelerate that development.

When asked which parts of his game could benefit most from Evans' mentorship, Stribling pointed to several key areas.

"Just being that bigger-bodied receiver, contested catches, releases off the line," Stribling explained. "So, just very excited to be able to learn from him and his process."

Stribling also believes his lone season at Ole Miss helped prepare him for the complexities of Shanahan's offensive system.


"We moved around a lot [on offense]," Stribling shared. "This offense kind of has a lot of moving pieces, also. So, just kind of familiar in that sense. So, I'm just kind of ready for anything that's being thrown at me."

The 49ers plan to bring Stribling along gradually, focusing first on the fundamentals required to play wide receiver at the NFL level before expanding his role in the offense.

Long term, San Francisco hopes the rookie can develop into a starting-caliber playmaker capable of stretching the field and becoming a reliable downfield target for quarterback Brock Purdy.

"He's a big, fast, powerful football player," offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, "and he can help our offense in so many ways with the ball in his hands, as a route runner, without the ball in his hands is a huge strength of his. The way he plays, his mindset."

One trait that especially stood out to the 49ers during the pre-draft process was Stribling's blocking ability. Team evaluators viewed him as the best blocking receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft, a key asset in Shanahan's offensive scheme.


"He's a complete football player, and those guys make your team better," Kubiak added. "So, he's going to affect the game in a lot of ways. That's our vision for him as far as the long term, for sure."

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