WR De’Zhaun Stribling’s preseason debut shows 49ers may have themselves a gem

Less than four months ago, the San Francisco 49ers were getting plenty of heat over their decision to select wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the first overall selection in the second round of the NFL Draft. Now it seems like there's a real possibility Stribling could make the critics of that decision eat their words sooner rather than later.

The selection of Stribling, who finished his five-year college career with 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns during the 2025 season with Ole Miss after playing two seasons apiece at Washington State and Oklahoma State, drew criticism from fans and analysts who were focused on the fact he was rated lower on online draft boards than the 33rd overall pick.

But the 49ers liked what Stribling brought to the table better than most and made him the sixth overall receiver selected, behind Carnell Tate of the Tennessee Titans (pick 4), Jordyn Tyson of the New Orleans Saints (pick 8), Makai Lemon of the Philadelphia Eagles (pick 20), KC Concepcion of the Cleveland Browns (pick 24), and Omar Cooper Jr. of the New York Jets (pick 30).

It remains to be seen exactly how Stribling performs compared to those other players, but based on how he's started his NFL career, he could have as big of an impact as any of them as a rookie.

After an impressive early training camp that earned him his share of praise, Stribling looked ready to be a significant contributor on Sundays during his preseason debut against the Titans on Thursday night. In less than one half of play, Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards, proving that he'll be a factor right away once the season begins.

"I felt great out there," Stribling told reporters after the game. "It felt like I was really clicking with the offense, hearing in the huddle, lining up on the field. So I'm very grateful I had the opportunities and the passes that I did."

Stribling outproduced every receiver in the 19-13 loss to the Titans, including Tate, who had zero catches on three targets. He also did it against the Titans' first-team defense, which was on the field for multiple series in the first half.

"The physicality and the speed, the whole tempo of everything, getting out there for the first time and getting used to it, it was real fun," Stribling said.

Stribling's highlights included a 32-yard sideline catch on third down along with two other third down conversions. Stribling's production on third down was reminiscent of the last 49ers player to wear his jersey number (15), Jauan Jennings.

"It seemed good," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Stribling's performance. "I mean, we'll see when we watch the film. I thought he struggled a little bit on that first drive, but I think he got three drives after that, and seemed like he executed all the stuff that went to him. And I liked how his hands looked out there and he played physical."

Exactly what role Stribling plays during the regular season and whether it mirrors that of Jennings remains to be seen, as the 49ers have been giving him looks at different spots ("We're switching him up throughout the week, and he did a number of different things today, too," Shanahan said). But after dealing with a hamstring issue early in camp, Stribling has handled whatever has come his way and showed Thursday night he's in a good spot.

"He's handling it well," Shanahan said. "It was tough when he got hurt. He missed that week. And now he's been back for I believe a week, and hopefully he can string together two more of these weeks, because he's going about it the right way. And as long as he gets those reps and continues to do what he's been doing, he'll be ready for the season."

Stribling told reporters he was "focused" and "locked in" before Thursday's game ("Maybe a little too focused on everything, but it wore away after," he said) and that he also got some pregame encouragement from veteran wide receiver Mike Evans.

"I talked to Mike earlier for some advice and he just said 'Be you,'" Stribling said. "That's all I needed to hear."

With the 49ers already battling multiple injuries at the wide receiver position, among them a season-ending knee issue for Ricky Pearsall, Stribling will be a player of high importance this season. His showing on Thursday was enough to earn some pats on the back from his teammates, and to send fans home with optimism despite the 49ers opening the preseason with a loss.

"Everyone was showing love and telling me 'Good job' and stuff," Stribling said Thursday. "Now I've just got to take on the coaching points and be better next week."