De'Zhaun Stribling is quickly proving the 49ers right after NFL Draft clowning

There are few things as satisfying as having the last laugh. It's still a bit premature, but the San Francisco 49ers appear well on their way toward the last laugh with 2026 2nd-round pick (their top pick in this year's draft) De'Zhaun Stribling, one of the most widely criticized picks in the entire draft.

Stribling was not considered a near 1st-round pick by...anyone. The 49ers have built somewhat of a reputation for poor drafting and a perception that they know far better than the consensus, so the initial reactions to the Stribling selection were pretty understandable in the moment.

He was considered a fringe 2nd-round pick by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah and Dane Brugler of The Athletic. But there were also a lot of rumors leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft that teams had building interest in Stribling, and the 49ers are already looking really smart for taking him off the board when they still had the chance.

Stribling has been phenomenal in his first two NFL preseason games, on top of impressing throughout the offseason program and training camp.

De'Zhaun Stribling is quickly earning a role with the 49ers nobody in the NFL saw coming

Stribling has all of the prerequisite skills to really shine early on in the NFL. This is not exactly the #1 trait you look for in a receiver, but the mentality and attitude a player has toward blocking really matter a lot in the evaulation process.

If you block, you get the rock...

Stribling is a physical player, and that extends beyond his blocking ability. What he is capable of doing that will give him instant viability as a go-to threat for one of the NFL's best offenses is being able to make tough catches through contact. Stribling puts that on display with the catch he makes on a tough throw from Mac Jones above.

Through his first two preseason games, Stribling has 13 targets, 11 receptions, and 109 yards. The 49ers are clearly testing his NFL readiness and whether or not he can handle a high volume right away.

And why not?

This is a 49ers team that has seen the receiver position completely revamped in recent years, although veteran Deebo Samuel is now officially back in the fold. Stribling could quickly emerge as the most-targeted player if he can prove to be trustworthy.

That seems to be precisely what he's doing.

This is just more proof, even before we get to the regular season, that a player's fit with an organization and how they envision him in their program is far more important than the general NFL Draft consensus. There might be some validity to constantly ignoring the consensus, having a stretch of bad classes, and simply throwing caution to the wind with every draft pick.

But every case is independent, and every player has an opportunity to prove teams were right to put faith in them. De'Zhaun Stribling has wasted no time proving the 49ers right.

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