The San Francisco 49ers selected Ole Miss WR De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd pick in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Stribling started his college career at Washington State and produced right away. He ranked third on the team with 470 yards as a true freshman before jumping to a team-high 602 the next year. Stribling failed to take a big step forward from there, though. He transferred to Oklahoma State in 2023 but missed most of that season with a broken wrist. In 2024, he led the team with 882 receiving yards but ranked second in catches (52) and TDs (6). Stribling made another move to Ole Miss this past season and posted a 55-811-6 line. He led the Rebels in TDs but ranked second in catches and receiving yards. Among the 49 WRs invited to the Combine, Stribling ranked 24th in dominator rating (24.6%) and 30th in yards per route (2.15). The 6’2, 207-pounder boosted his stock with a 4.36-second 40 time and 9.57 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine. But he arrives in the NFL with a middling production profile and an underdeveloped route tree. Per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, hitches and gos accounted for 57% of his routes last year.
Draft Sharks Rookie Guide: “Stribling displayed excellent run-after-catch ability in a shorter-range role. Stribling also flashed reliable hands with a 1.8% drop rate. The full profile points to a draftable reserve WR with some development potential.”
The move comes as a bit of a surprise, but Stribling has an intriguing blend of size and speed. He has strong hands and is one of the top yards-after-catch WRs in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Stirbling slots in as depth in a 49ers offense that suddenly looks loaded.
He'll slot in as the replacement for Jauan Jennings, joining Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall as weapons in a San Francisco offense that was hit hard by injuries last season but still finished fifth overall, averaging 244.5 passing yards per game.
Stribling is unlikely to command the kind of volume Jennings earned last season, but he could put up usable fantasy production early if TE George Kittle opens the season on the PUP list.
View Stribling as an upside bench stash in redraft leagues, with weekly streaming appeal if Pearsall continues to miss time.
Stribling projects best as a perimeter option opposite Evans, kicking Pearsall inside. He projects to be the team's top deep threat.
He was drafted significantly higher than projected, as the sixth WR selected overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Stribling joins a crowded San Francisco offense, but it's a good landing spot. The No.33 draft capital pushes him into the second round of rookie drafts.
You have our personal money-back guarantee: If you’re not happy with our service for any reason, just reach out by December 31, 2026, and we’ll give you 100% of this purchase back. No strings attached. You can cancel with one-click from your account page anytime.
Search
Redraft
Dynasty
Best Ball
