There is a difference between a rookie having a good training camp and a rookie having a training camp that makes people stop and take notice. Every year, rookies make plays. Some look impressive. Some earn starting jobs. Others become contributors.
But every once in a while, a rookie creates a different kind of buzz. It's the feeling that maybe you're watching something special. That's the type of hype surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling this summer.
Stribling has impressed everyone watching since arriving in Santa Clara, and the praise hasn't been limited to one aspect of his game. His size, speed, route running, physicality, intelligence, and ability to pick up the offense have all drawn attention. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has spoken highly of the rookie. Wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson reportedly saw something different in Stribling during the evaluation process. Brock Purdy has also praised the rookie, calling him a "baller" and highlighting his route running, intelligence, strength, and ability to create separation.
It's far too early to know what kind of career he'll have. Training camp hype doesn't guarantee NFL success. But 49ers history provides some fascinating examples of rookies who made people believe early on that they could become something special.
There are players like Ronnie Lott who made a massive impact as a rookie. But this discussion is about those who created a lot of buzz in training camp. There isn't much information found about training camps from years ago, and if I remember correctly, Lott showed up a few days late for training camp. So he won't be included in this list.
Neither will Terrell Owens, who I recall during a preseason game his rookie year, hearing John Madden say he liked that Owens kid a lot and that he believed the 49ers may have found a special talent. Jerry Rice isn't included for some of the same reasons Lott isn't included. There's not much training camp information found before the internet.
But some have created a lot of training camp buzz for the 49ers. Here are five of them:
1. Patrick Willis, 2007
If there is a gold standard for this discussion, it's Patrick Willis. The 49ers selected Willis with the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, so expectations were high from the beginning. But it didn't take long for Willis to show that he was more than just another highly drafted linebacker.
He was different. Willis had elite speed, instincts, physicality, and a relentless approach to the game. He looked like a player who was going to make an immediate impact at the NFL level. And he did.
Willis won Defensive Rookie of the Year and finished his rookie season with 174 tackles. He went on to earn seven Pro Bowl selections and five first-team All-Pro honors and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Bryant Young, 1994
Bryant Young is another name that deserves to be in this conversation. The 49ers selected Young with the seventh overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He arrived as a highly regarded prospect, but his talent quickly translated to the NFL.
Young was a rare combination of size, strength, athleticism, and technique. He wasn't simply a defensive tackle who could occupy blockers. He could disrupt plays.
Young spent his entire 14-year career with the 49ers, earning four Pro Bowl selections and first-team All-Pro honors in 1996. Like Willis, he was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3. Nick Bosa, 2019
Nick Bosa may be the closest modern example to what Stribling is experiencing right now. Obviously, the circumstances were different. Bosa was the number two overall pick and arrived with enormous expectations. But the early reports weren't simply that Bosa looked like a good rookie. He looked ready.
During the opening days of the 2019 training camp, Bosa was already generating pressure against the 49ers' offensive line. One early practice included a would-be strip sack of Jimmy Garoppolo that was highlighted in the team's training camp observations.
The early buzz around Bosa became even more interesting when comparisons were made to another 49ers pass rusher. Matt Maiocco reportedly observed that after one week of camp, Bosa was already ahead of where Aldon Smith (more on him below) had been at the same point in his rookie training camp, particularly because of Bosa's advanced technique and strength.
Bosa went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and become one of the NFL's premier pass rushers.
4. DeForest Buckner, 2016
DeForest Buckner is another player who should be on this list. The physical talent was obvious. He was enormous, athletic, powerful, and capable of affecting the game from the interior. When Buckner got his hands on an offensive lineman, it often looked like there wasn't much the blocker could do about it. That became apparent early in his career.
By his second season, Buckner was already a Pro Bowler. He eventually earned first-team All-Pro honors and established himself as one of the NFL's best defensive linemen. There was even a point during the 2019 training camp when Buckner and Bosa were creating problems at the same time. The 49ers' own report from the opening day of camp highlighted Bosa's would-be strip sack of Garoppolo, while Buckner had two would-be sacks of his own.
A year earlier, another 49ers training camp report described Buckner as "an absolute animal" and noted how difficult he was to block one-on-one. That's the kind of training camp reputation we're talking about.
5. Aldon Smith, 2011
Aldon Smith is perhaps the most complicated name on this list because of how his career ultimately unfolded. But if we're talking strictly about football talent and early signs of greatness, he belongs.
The 49ers selected Smith with the seventh overall pick in 2011, and it didn't take long to see the physical gifts that made him such a dangerous pass rusher. Smith had length, speed, explosiveness, and an ability to get after the quarterback that couldn't be taught. He wasn't necessarily as polished as some of the other players on this list, but his natural ability was undeniable.
Smith finished his rookie season with 14 sacks. That number is impressive for any pass rusher, especially a rookie.
Honorable Mention: Jalen Hurd, 2019
If we're talking about 49ers rookies who generated enormous training camp buzz, Jalen Hurd deserves a mention. Hurd was one of the most intriguing rookies on the 49ers' roster in 2019.
A third-round pick out of Baylor, Hurd was a unique prospect because of his size, athleticism, and versatility. During his first training camp, it looked like the 49ers might have found something special. Hurd consistently made plays, even in a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.
He showed the ability to line up at multiple positions, use his size against smaller defensive backs, and make difficult catches. The 49ers were clearly excited about the possibilities of using him in Kyle Shanahan's offense. The buzz became so significant that Hurd was being discussed as a potential major contributor before he had even played his first regular-season game.
Then everything changed. Hurd suffered a back injury during the preseason that eventually ended his rookie season. He returned in 2020, but another back injury ended his season before it began. He ultimately never appeared in a regular-season game for the 49ers.
It's important to keep all of this in perspective. Stribling hasn't played a regular-season NFL game yet. He's still a rookie trying to earn a role on a talented 49ers offense.
Nobody knows whether he'll become a star. He could end up like Heard. Or he could end up like one of the greats. That's what makes training camp so much fun. Every once in a while, a player gives you reasons to believe.
The 49ers have had plenty of rookies make noise during training camp over the years. But very few have created the kind of buzz that makes people stop and notice. That's where Stribling finds himself right now.
It's still early. But he's gotten people to pay attention. And in 49ers history, that's where some very special careers began.
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