There’s been a lot of change in the San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver corps since the end of last season.
Kendrick Bourne left for the Arizona Cardinals, while Jauan Jennings entered free agency and remains unsigned nearly two months after it opened. Meanwhile, the 49ers upgraded the position by signing future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and Christian Kirk for less than the price Jennings was reportedly seeking.
However, one player who remains and will likely seek a larger role is Ricky Pearsall, who enters the third year of his rookie contract projected as either a WR2 or WR3 on the depth chart. They still have Demarcus Robinson, who enters the second year of his contract, plus Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing.
The 49ers are significantly stronger at the position. Yet, they still decided to add another rookie in the draft with their first selection, taking De'Zhaun Stribling at No. 33 overall after trading down.
Stribling’s selection has received mixed reactions, as many viewed him as a reach at No. 33 overall, because he was projected to get picked in round four, but former San Francisco general manager Scot McCloughan supports the front office’s decision to draft him.
De'Zhaun Stribling
Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi wideout De'Zhaun Stribling (WO35) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“I liked him quite a bit, to tell you the truth,” McCloughan said of Stribling to The Athletic. “Some people didn’t, and I don’t understand why, because he’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got good ball skills. And he made plays. I don’t understand why they’re questioning the pick.
“I’d take Stribling in a heartbeat over Cooper,” McCloughan added. “Because Stribling can run. Cooper is not a speed player at all. He’s like Deebo (Samuel) — just bulk up a little and do the dirty work. Stribling can do either/or. He can go outside and go vertical. You better hold on, because he can run...
"And I don’t know the person, I don’t know the medical and that kind of crud. But just from the standpoint of a football player, what I saw on tape, the guy’s going to be a starter in the NFL. He’s a big kid, too, now. He’s tall, he’s got length, he’s got a good catch radius. He’s pretty cool.”
These qualities imply that San Francisco could find plenty of potential in him, but expectations for his rookie season likely won’t be too high considering the depth already ahead of him on the roster. But if the 49ers have an injury-ridden season as they have done for the past few years, Stribling could face significantly more snaps.
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