It’s fair to say that the 49ers’ selection of De’Zhaun Stribling with their top selection in the 2026 NFL Draft has divided fans.
San Francisco moved down twice, ultimately going from 27 to 33 before taking Stribling, an enticing height-weight-speed prospect who brings substantial YAC upside to the passing game.
Trading down and gaining more assets always looked like the smart play by the 49ers, given they entered the draft with just six picks.
Having used further choices on edge rusher Romello Height,
following another trade down in the second round, and running back Kaelon Black, the 49ers still have five further selections on day three.
As such, they have done a good job of maximizing their capital and, with the picks of Stribling and Height, addressing needs.
However, opinion on the Stribling pick is decidedly mixed.
Indeed, in responding to the Niners Draft Reacts survey on the pick, just 10 percent of fans had given the selection an A grade at the time of writing.
A quarter of respondents gave the pick a B, while 23% graded it as a C.
Yet a large section of respondents did not have a high opinion of the choice of Stribling. Twenty-three percent said the pick deserved a D, and 19% gave it an F.
Other needs, such as offensive line and safety, may have been viewed as greater priorities by fans. However, this is a franchise that has long since placed an emphasis on touchdown scoring positions above others in the draft. The 49ers will now likely focus on other areas with their day three resources, but there will be a lot of scrutiny on Stribling in his rookie year as he looks to prove he was worthy of the 33rd pick.
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