SANTA CLARA — It happened so quickly that many of the guests had yet to arrive to witness the grand moment.It was the beginning of Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and Mississippi wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling got the first phone call of the day.
“I wasn’t quite ready for the whole thing,” Stribling told NBC Sports Bay Area on “Meet the Rookies.”
“Everyone was still parking cars and getting set up, and then I got that call from a San Jose area code.”
John Lynch, the 49ers’ general manager, was on the other end to inform Stribling he was the No. 33 overall pick in the draft.
“We were very confident we were going high on Day 2,” Stribling said. “We just didn’t know where or to what team. So I was definitely ready for it. I knew it was coming. But it was definitely a shock and a relief at the same time.”
Stribling was at home with his family and friends in Hawaii after finishing his final season of college football with 55 receptions for 811 yards and six touchdowns for Ole Miss. He was the sixth wide receiver selected in the draft.