49ers Take De'Zhaun Stribling to Kick Off Second Round

The San Francisco 49ers selected Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick at the top of Round 2 in the 2026 NFL draft on Friday night. Stribling has the potential to be a true WR1 down the road in San Francisco, and he's an excellent jump-ball artist down the field at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds. The Niners entered the offseason with receiver being an area of need with Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) time with the organization coming to an end, and the team not expected to re-sign Jauan Jennings. They signed future Hall of Famer Mike Evans in free agency and have now added Stribling through the draft. Stribling played two years each in college at Washington State and Oklahoma State before finishing off with Ole Miss in 2025, where he caught 55 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games played. Stribling could be a dynasty sleeper while working with quarterback Brock Purdy, mainly because of his elite vertical burst down the field. The selection of Stribling is bad news for the long-term value of Ricky Pearsall, a former first-rounder.

Source: NFL.com