The San Francisco 49ers drew opinions earlier this offseason when they took Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the No. 33 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, with ******* ysts perceiving the pick as a slight reach, given that he was a consensus late second-rounder.
However, several reports came out following the draft that Stribling was seen higher by the NFL than the media and was expected to be a second-round pick, with the 49ers not wanting to risk losing the wideout with another trade down.
Standing 6'2, 210 pounds, Stribling ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and was one of the more physically impressive wide receivers in the draft. San Francisco clearly had an affinity for the wideout, as head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch revealed after the draft that Stribling would've been the team's pick at No. 27 overall, where the 49ers were initially slated to pick.
But the team was able to pick up additional draft compensation and move back to No. 33, where they ultimately still took Stribling.
Earlier this week, ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed that one of the teams interested in Stribling was the Los Angeles Rams, with some even believing the Ole Miss product was the best receiver in the draft.

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