The biggest story about San Francisco 49ers wide receivers this offseason has been who’s not playing — Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall — rather than the product actually on the field.
That could change quickly thanks to a rookie.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley put 49ers rookie wide receiver and 2026 2nd-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Hidden Gems” in 2026.
“Stribling has caught a good amount of helium since San Francisco turned a few heads by making him the top selection of this year’s second round,” Buckley wrote. “He’s the one turning heads now, as his unique blend of size (6’2″, 207 lbs) and speed (4.36-second 40-yard dash) carries obvious perks. Especially in an offense orchestrated by Kyle Shanahan, who routinely puts his top playmakers in open space. The fun thing with Stribling is he looks skilled enough to both stretch the field to open up that space for others and feast on those closer catches with the right kind of long speed to turn them into big gains.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Stribling was the NFL’s highest-graded rookie wide receiver in the preseason, coming in with a 90.0 overall grade.
49ers Have More Question Marks Than WR
The wide receivers room isn’t the only part of the 49ers’ offense trying to answer questions that might not be answered in the season opener on September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Take into account that just 1 week out from the game, the 49ers don’t even know if NFL All-Pro tight end George Kittle will even be able to play after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in an NFC Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on January 11.
Other things to consider? Quarterback Brock Purdy has missed 10 games due to injuries over the last 2 seasons, including 8 games in 2025, and workhorse running back Christian McCaffrey, no stranger to injuries himself, is coming off 450 touches in 2025.
The 49ers surprised everyone in the football-loving world by taking Stribling with the opening pick of the 2nd round (No. 33 overall).
ESPN’s Seth Walder singled out Stribling’s pick as the move he disliked the most for the 49ers in his annual offseason grades.
“Jauan Jennings left in free agency (for cheap) for the Vikings, but the 49ers also added Christian Kirk and used its first draft selection on Stribling at pick No. 33,” Walder wrote on June 30. “The Stribling selection was a bit of a head-scratcher. He’d been a late riser, but this was a reach — and reaching in the draft is bad process.”
Stribling Seemed Dominant at Times in Preseason
Stribling, the No. 33 overall pick in the 2nd round, led the 49ers with 7 receptions for 63 yards in a 19-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the preseason opener He did so on just 8 targets, and had all 7 receptions in the 1st half.
CBS Sports NFL reporters John Breech and Zachary Pereles singled Stribling out as 1 of the NFL’s “Biggest Winners” following the 1st round of preseason games.
From CBS Sports: “Kyle Shanahan made the decision to bench most of his starters against the Titans on Thursday, which makes sense, because training camp has been a battle of attrition for the 49ers. Everyone is injured. However, Stribling is healthy and he might have been the best offensive player on the field for the 49ers. He caught seven passes for 63 yards against the Titans and he did all of that in just one half of play. If you have a fantasy draft coming up, you might want to think about taking Stribling. With Ricky Pearsall out for the season, Stribling could definitely make a name for himself in San Francisco as a rookie.”
San Francisco 49ers Rookie Called NFL’s Top ‘Hidden Gem’