The San Francisco 49ers shocked the world when they took Ole Miss product De'Zhaun Stribling at the top of the second round. He was considered one of the draft's biggest reaches and was the sixth wideout off the board, even though he was ranked 15th at the position.
After just one day of practice, he might have already shown why.
Former Dallas Cowboys superstar Dez Bryant responded to a video on social media of Stribling making a cut in camp. He looked good—big, strong, and fast—but Bryant, having the eye of a trained professional, noticed something else.
"His outside foot being up is why he rolled into the route instead of sticking it. I need my WRs to stick and cross the defender’s face violently… especially if we are running in breaking routes…The minor details make the biggest impact," the former Pro Bowler said.
It's a minor detail, but in a league where everyone possesses elite physical skill sets, it's the little things that make all the difference.
De'Zhaun Stribling's position rank makes more sense than his NFL Draft spot
At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Stribling is an imposing force. Add in the fact that he ran a sub-4.40 at the NFL Combine, and the rookie has all the physical tools to torment opposing secondaries.
However, Bryant didn't call his tangibles into question on social media. He pointed out his inexperience and lack of attention to detail. Such a critique makes sense when considering that Stribling never eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in any season during his college career. In his one season with Ole Miss, he failed to finish the year as the team's leading receiver. In fact, he only had one game in which he surpassed 100 yards through the air.
This inconsistency has to be taken into account when determining his value to San Francisco this year. There has to be a reason why a player of his physique failed to dominate at the college level, while others who boasted less physical prowess produced better results.
Even though the NFL is a league filled with human beings who are at their physical peak, it is still, at some level, a mental game. Every position requires a certain level of technique and fundamentals, and it appears that Stribling has yet to learn what other successful pass catchers have already figured out. If he is unable to iron out these kinks, his growing pains could lead to tempered expectations at the professional level.
Fortunately for the Niners, though, he has future Hall of Famer Mike Evans as a built-in mentor. The coaching staff is likely grateful to have such an established veteran on the roster, where Stribling will be able to play his younger years under the watchful eyes of such a renowned star. But given Bryant's online evaluation, it appears the youngster still has a way to go before he is capable of producing Evans-like numbers.
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