When the San Francisco 49ers selected wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the moment came sooner than he expected.

Stribling was preparing for a gathering with family and friends in Hawaii when he received the life-changing phone call.


"We kind of weren't even ready for the whole thing," Stribling admitted during a conversation with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Everyone was still parking cars and trying to get set up. And got the call from a San Jose area code."

The 49ers' decision to draft Stribling early in the second round drew criticism from some draft analysts, who believed the receiver would have been available later. However, the first pick of Day 2 has begun changing opinions with an impressive start to training camp before hamstring tightness sidelined him for the past two practices.

Some believe Stribling could even compete for a starting role opposite veteran Mike Evans after Ricky Pearsall's injury, despite the 49ers reuniting with Deebo Samuel. The rookie has consistently stood out during camp, fueling excitement about his potential impact in Year 1.

However, general manager John Lynch recently said that Pearsall's injury doesn't change the plan for Stribling.

"Number one, he's just got to show he's ready, but we have a vision for him, how we want to use him," Lynch said. "I don't think we're going to deviate from that a lot."


Of course, if the rookie continues to flash in camp, the 49ers might have no choice but to accelerate the timeline on their plan.

Stribling is also benefiting from learning alongside Evans, the 49ers' marquee free-agent addition. Entering his 13th NFL season, Evans has already built a résumé worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, totaling 13,052 receiving yards and 108 touchdowns during his career.

Maiocco asked Stribling what he has learned from Evans and the other veteran receivers.

"Just learning points from everything—from route details to how you do certain things, catching the ball, hand placement," Stribling said. "Just learning from each and every one of them. And also competing, trying to push them to be better so then I can be better also."

Rather than setting statistical goals for his rookie season, Stribling said his focus is on becoming the best player and teammate he can be while helping the 49ers win.


"I don't like putting numbers or expectations out there," Stribling said. "I just like going out there and playing the best that I can play, and that's all it is at the end of the day, doing what I can do at the highest level to help the whole team win."

Joining the 49ers means becoming part of one of the NFL's most decorated franchises. Each morning, Stribling walks past the organization's five Vince Lombardi Trophies and is reminded of the championship standard that defines the team.

When asked whether he understands what it means to wear a 49ers uniform, Stribling embraced the responsibility.

"I do," he said. "It's a lot of toughness, a lot of grit, a lot of unity as a whole, and just doing your part for the whole organization."



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