The San Francisco 49ers. rookie class wasn't well received by any means. Multiple picks were dubbed "reaches," most notably second-round pass catcher De'Zhaun Stribling. However, he’s earned rave reviews in camp from players and those who have watched practice. The hype train seems to have officially left the station, and it's not even September yet.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan, on the other hand, might not be viewing the youngster so favorably.
After Tuesday’s joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, the 49ers' coach seemingly tried to pump the brakes a bit on the excitement. Shanahan was asked about Stribling, and, though he admitted praise, he followed it up with a heavy dose of reality:
We know his ability, and now it’s about him going through a lot of situations that he hasn’t been through, that I expect him to fail a number of times in practice, but he’s good enough and made of the right stuff, that he’ll eventually get through it.
Amid the unheralded praise from players and pundits alike, the sentiment appears lukewarm in comparison, and for good reason. Shanahan has been around the block long enough to know that one shouldn’t overreact to what a player does in the preseason. It's not unwise to temper expectations for a player who has yet to play a snap in an NFL regular season.
Still, given the precarious state of San Francisco’s wide receiver room, it would be a welcome development if Stribling developed ahead of schedule.
De"Zhaun Stribling has uphill battle to relevancy in Kyle Shanahan's system
Everyone knows how Shanahan feels about young receivers. They have to earn their playing time, and he is not afraid to give them the "doghouse" treatment if they fail to meet expectations (see Brandon Aiyuk's early years). Outside of Deebo Samuel's rookie campaign back in 2019, one would be hard-pressed to find another first-year wideout who made an immediate impact upon arrival.
2026 could be a year where a player like Stribling does get a lot of opportunities. Mike Evans, Samuel, and potentially Demarcus Robinson might end up being ahead of him on the depth chart to begin the year, but when injuries strike, the rookie could get his chance to contribute.
The Niners clearly think highly of him, or they wouldn’t have selected him with their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. So far, Stribling has excelled enough to get his share of opportunities, but not without Shanahan's scrutinizing eye on his every move.
As long as Stribling learns from his mistakes throughout the course of the year, it’s fair to think he will play a big role in the San Francisco offense this season.
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