It's excellent news for the San Francisco 49ers their top pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, has been making so many waves over the first two weeks of the preseason.
From flashing speed to contested catches, the Ole Miss product is fully debunking the notion about the Niners reaching on him with the 33rd overall pick last April. By nearly every account, Stribling is showcasing everything needed to be a top-flight rookie wideout at this point before the regular season.
And a future Hall of Famer, wide receiver Mike Evans, noticed.
Mike Evans joins chorus praising 49ers WR De'Zhaun Stribling
Evans, who joined San Francisco as a free agent last March after an exemplary career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, knows a thing or two about going about his craft in the most professional manner.
Speaking on the 49ers' recent The Build series (h/t @CoachYac on X), Evans showered all kinds of lofty praise on the rookie:
“Strib gets the job done. He’s a rookie, but he’s a pro. He’s been a pro. The way he practices, the way he prepares, he’s gonna make a lot of plays for us this year.”
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 25, 2026
— Mike Evans on De'Zhaun Stribling pic.twitter.com/58eFFzPgVM
"Strib gets the job done," Evans said. "He’s a rookie, but he’s a pro. He’s been a pro. The way he practices, the way he prepares, he’s gonna make a lot of plays for us this year."
No doubt, Evans paid attention not only to his counterpart's natural abilities and talents, but Stribling's work ethic and dedication to his craft had to catch the six-time Pro Bowler's eye, too.
Mike Evans should feel confident about De'Zhaun Stribling
Stribling's first-ever NFL game was impressive—seven catches for 63 yards in the exhibition opener against the Tennessee Titans, followed up by four grabs for 46 yards the following week versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
In doing so, the receiver became the first player in 20 years to record 11 receptions within the first 20 minutes of back-to-back preseason games, according to NFL strategist and analytics coach Ryan Paganetti.
True, these are exhibition performances and largely up against defenses that aren't truly game-planning while fielding mostly B- and C-level defenders.
Still, for Stribling to thrive in that kind of environment, other teammates like Evans have every right to be impressed.
Of course, the rookie will still have a lengthy growth curve as he continues to acclimate to the pro level.
Fortunately, having someone like Evans in the fold should only help matters as Stribling looks to carve out his own story following such an impressive debut.
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