The San Francisco 49ers had what can charitably be described as a controversial 2026 NFL Draft. They made a number of picks that many found questionable or were considered reaches.
The first player they selected creates a very obvious question with one of their free-agent acquisitions.
San Francisco selected wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling out of Ole Miss with the first pick of the second round. He’s seen as a solid player even though many thought he’d go later in the second round. He’s got speed and is considered a deep threat, which is exactly what the Niners brought Kirk in to be.
So the question is: How much leash will the Niners give Kirk? With Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall likely to be Nos. 1 and 2 on the depth chart, that means Kirk will likely be the No. 3 guy, but now he has a rookie breathing down his neck.
Obviously, a lot of this will just come down to performance. If Kirk and quarterback Brock Purdy connect and are on the same page, then Kirk is going to be out there over the rookie. But if Kirk has some drops early on, or the chemistry just isn’t there with Purdy, don’t be shocked if Stribling becomes much more of a factor.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is infamously demanding of his young receivers, but there is a chance Stribling could play more than most rookie receivers in a Shanahan offense. He’s highly touted as a run-blocker, which is huge. With Jauan Jennings departing, that leaves the door open for a wide receiver who blocks like crazy.
Of course, there’s always a chance Stribling will end up in Shanahan’s doghouse. We saw it before with Brandon Aiyuk and others, so if the rookie looks like a rookie and runs bad routes or makes silly mistakes early on, then Kirk may have a pretty firm hold on his spot in the offense.
Injuries are also a big factor. Evans and Pearsall may be the top receivers on the depth chart, but no one would be surprised if either guy missed several games due to injury. Evans is almost 33 years old and played in just eight games last season. Pearsall has played in just 20 games over his first two NFL seasons.
There was a game last season in which Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson were the two starting wide receivers for the Niners. So, if injuries become a big deal, then maybe Stribling and Kirk end up as the starters.
It will be interesting to see how the wide receiver depth chart works out as a whole. How will Robinson and guys like Jordan Watkins or Jacob Cowing factor into things? Stribling versus Kirk could be an interesting storyline to follow, though, especially if the rookie looks strong in training camp and the preseason.
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