Even though the New England Patriots spent top dollar on Romeo Doubs this offseason, the future of their wide receiver position remains unclear. Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins are all entering the final year of their contracts, while Kyle Williams has yet to show he is capable of filling a more prominent role on offense.
Because of all that, the Patriots might be in the market for more receiver help in this year’s draft. And if so, De’Zhaun Stribling, who recently visited with the team,
is a player to keep an eye on.
Hard facts
Name: De’Zhaun Stribling
Position: Wide receiver
School: Ole Miss (RS Sr.)
Opening day age: 23 (12/18/2002)
Measurements: 6’2 1/8”, 207 lbs, 31 5/8” arm length, 10” hand size, 4.36s 40-yard dash, 6.99s 3-cone drill, 4.36s short shuttle, 36” vertical jump, 10’7” broad jump, 9.57 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
Colleges: Washington State (2021-22), Oklahoma State (2023-24), Ole Miss (2025)
Career statistics: 56 games (55 starts) | 3,008 offensive snaps, 102 special teams snaps | 345 targets, 216 catches (62.6%), 2,963 receiving yards (13.7/catch), 23 TDs, 9 drops | 1 special teams tackle, 1 missed special teams tackle (50%) | 10 penalties (incl. 1 declined/offset)
Accolades: Honorable mention All-Pac 12 (2021)
Having played over 3,000 offensive snaps in college, Stribling is one of the most experienced wide receivers in this year’s draft. The former three-star recruit out of Kapolei High School in Kapolei, HI, began his career at Washington State, where he made an immediate impact by catching 44 passes for 471 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman. By his sophomore campaign, he was the Cougars’ leading receiver but decided to transfer to Oklahoma State after the season.
His two-year stint in Stillwater was off to a challenging start, with a broken left wrist limiting him to only four games as a junior. He fared better the following year, leading the Cowboys with 882 receiving yards and ranking second on the team with 52 catches and six scores.
Once again, however, Stribling opted for a change of scenery. His final year of eligibility was spent at Ole Miss, where he started all 15 games and hauled in 55 passes for 811 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns. As a consequence, he is leaving the college game having registered 600-plus receiving yards in three separate seasons and with three separate teams.
Draft profile
Projected round: 3-4 | Consensus big board: No. 131 | Patriots meeting: 30 visit
Strengths: Stribling is a speedster, who can cover distance quickly and makes defensive backs panic with his 91st-percentile long speed. He is a serious deep threat but has also proven effective with just about any route in the book. That is in part due to his ability to line up both inside and outside the formation, and because he is a skilled route runner who executes double moves and cuts effectively to put himself in a position to succeed, and who has shown a feel for pace changes and head fakes.
Stribling also has some good ball skills and can come down with passes in traffic; his concentration, body control and hand-eye coordination are above average and allow him to counteract his 42nd-percentile arm length. He furthermore has proven himself a dangerous player with the ball in his hands, and offers the willingness to go through defenders — something he also does as a blocker — as well as the speed and general elusiveness to capitalize on bad angles or overeager tackling attempts.
Weaknesses: Stribling’s long speed is legitimate, but he takes a second to ramp up; his 1.53-second 10-yard split, which ranks in the 65th percentile, is exemplary for his lack of burst off the line. In general, his release has been uneven and he needs to add more variety especially to counter physical press man coverage. He is dangerous in open space, but getting there has not always been easy and is why he never had truly elite production in college (e.g. no 1,000-yard seasons).
He also is not the most agile player. He wins with straight-line speed rather than top-level quickness, which also shows up with his cuts from time to time; his hips are not loose enough to fluently stop and go with consistency. Stribling also will need to get more physical at the top of his route to win out against NFL-caliber cornerbacks, who might feel less threatened by his ability to beat them deep.
Patriots preview
What would be his role? Stribling projects as an outside-first receiver who can line up both at the X and as a Z-receiver. He likely would not be a starter in his first year in New England, but still give the team a complementary target capable of stretching the field. His long speed also might make him a candidate to be used as a kickoff returner, despite not being used that way in college.
Does he have positional versatility? Even though he can play the aforementioned X and Z spots, and has occasionally lined up in the slot during his career thus far, Stribling is less versatile than other wide receivers in the class. That doesn’t make him a one-trick pony, but he also should not be expected to be used as a matchup chess piece either.
What is his growth potential? Stribling is slightly on the older side and will turn 24 in December. From that perspective, the developmental curve might be slightly shallower. That said, there are areas he can work on — primarily his release packages and overall physicality against NFL-caliber players — to position himself as a starter-level player in the league.
Why the Patriots? The Patriots need playmakers on offense even after signing Romeo Doubs, and Stribling has the potential to become just that even though it will require some fine-tuning. Adding him to the mix also would give the team another longer-term option at a position that will see those aforementioned three players — Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins — out of contract next spring.
Why not the Patriots? Stribling has some attributes worth building around, but the Patriots might be looking for a player with less question marks. Will his skillset translate to the NFL? Will he show proper improvement despite being on the older side? Why was his college production uneven? Also, all of this might become a moot point anyway if they go through with trading for A.J. Brown.
One-sentence verdict: Getting Drake Maye a reliable deep threat that can win on the outside is something the Patriots are aiming for, and Stribling might fit that bill even though he needs some development.
For more information about De’Zhaun Stribling and the rest of this year’s class of prospects, please take a look at Adam’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide.
Also, what do you think about Stribling as a potential Patriots target? Do you like him? Where would you pick him? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
