Could 49ers rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling be the steal of the 2026 NFL Draft? The preseason is over, and the hype surrounding San Francisco’s second-round pick out of Ole Miss could not be stronger. Brock Purdy recently spoke about Stribling on NBC Sports’ 49ers Talk, and the quarterback had nothing but good things to say. 

It’s yet another quote, adding to the excitement that 49ers fans have and should feel about Stribling heading into the regular season.

The San Francisco wide receiver room has seen significant shakeup this offseason. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season after suffering a PCL injury in training camp. Christian Kirk was also placed on IR to start the season with a calf strain. The 49ers brought back veteran Deebo Samuel, who spent a year with the Washington Commanders before returning to San Francisco. 

With all of that turnover and chaos, Stribling’s rise has become the one thing that room could lean on to start 2026. 

What Purdy had to say

Brock Purdy raved about what he’s seen from the 49ers second round pick as he stated:

“He’s done an amazing job with coming in and obviously learning the playbook and just keeping his head down and working. He’s a guy that doesn’t just come in and talk. De’Zhaun’s gonna show you when he gets out to practice by the way he works. The way that he’s supposed to be where he’s supposed to be every time”.

It’s clear that Brock Purdy has already established a ton of trust with Stribling. Of course, rookies will naturally go through growing pains and make their fair amount of mistakes. 

Purdy acknowledged that and said, “If he does mess up, you can tell he’s gonna get it corrected the next time. Guys get there eventually, but he’s done it from the jump, which is really rare and really cool to see. He’s gonna be a big part of our offense this year, so I’m excited to see him play.”

Stribling looked like one of the best players on the field in the preseason

Not everyone gets to see practices. Camp can be closed off to just the team and certain media. But what we did get to see were the two preseason games Stribling played in against the Titans and Chargers. In those games it was clear he might have been one of the best players on the field. 

Let me be clear: De’Zhaun Stribling was not just the best player for the 49ers. He was one of the best in general.

Now, don’t forget what came out about a month ago. Rams coach Sean McVay, along with others, wanted to get Stribling, likely in the late second round. The 49ers used their first pick in the second round to take him, which some people thought was early at the time. It seems like a lot of people around the league had him valued high on their draft boards, and San Francisco moved quickly to make sure they got their guy.

You could see it right away in the preseason. Going back to the opener against the Tennessee Titans, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers quarterbacks wanted to get Stribling the football. They were using him in multiple ways, even with a more vanilla playbook. In-breakers, out-breakers, go balls, comebacks, motions. 

Shanahan likes versatility out of his wide receivers, and Stribling checks every box. Heck, he seems like he’s been in Shanahan’s system his whole life already. 

Stribling’s role when the regular season begins

I think Stribling has positioned himself to get a bulk of the snaps even when Christian Kirk comes back after his stint on IR. Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel will be the other starters at wide receiver. Even if everyone stays healty, I would expect Stribling to finish with the second-highest snap count at wide receiver behind Evans.

Look, Purdy needs someone like him out there. He used to have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. We all know what happened with Aiyuk and that whole debacle, which was unfortunate. The 49ers have really missed having multiple weapons at the wide receiver position. 

Don’t forget as well that even if George Kittle gets on the field as early as Week 1, there is certain to be an acclimation period for his body to get in playing shape. 

This offense has plenty of playmakers. The names and faces are a little different this year, and the makeup of the team has shifted with newer guys stepping into bigger roles. De’Zhaun Stribling only adds to the talent of this 49ers unit. 

I’m high on this kid, and I have him as my offensive rookie of the year. He’s popped off the tape that much already, and the most important voices in the building have said it.