San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling is having a sensational summer. Not only has he stood out in practice, but he's enjoyed two solid preseason games with 11 receptions for 109 yards.
But beyond the stats, Stribling is earning praise for other reasons. NFL expert Greg Cosell noted on 95.7 The Game's Willard & Dibs show that the rookie wide receiver has looked every bit like the player he studied on tape before the draft. And that, almost more than the production, is an encouraging sign for Stribling's progression.
"I would say that what I've seen… is exactly what I saw on tape," Cosell said. "And I think that's always a really good sign for a player… what I saw in the two preseason games was very representative of what I saw on his
college tape both at Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. And I think that's a really positive sign when a player looks the same, you know, in his first year in the NFL as he did in college."
"What I saw in the two preseason games was very representative of what I saw on his college tape. That's a really positive sign when a player looks the same in his first year as he did in college."@gregcosell continues to be impressed by De'Zhaun Stribling | @WillardAndDibs pic.twitter.com/2uUJ7gajuh
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 26, 2026
Cosell was careful to note the sample size — two preseason games, no regular-season snaps yet — but pointed to specific traits that stood out. He praised Stribling's hands, noting he catches the ball away from his frame, and broke down a 21-yard third-down catch on a skinny post from the slot, where Stribling showed subtle route nuance to separate before hauling in a tight-window throw between the numbers.
Cosell also liked how San Francisco has deployed Stribling early, rotating him outside and in the slot rather than boxing him into one alignment — a sign, he said, that the coaching staff views him as a movement piece within the offense, with Mike Evans profiling as the traditional boundary X.
The praise comes on the heels of a productive, well-traveled college career. Stribling began at Washington State before transferring to Oklahoma State, then Ole Miss, finishing with 216 catches for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns across 56 games. He posted back-to-back 800-yard seasons in 2024 (52-882-6 at Oklahoma State) and 2025 (55-811-6 at Ole Miss), while testing well enough at the combine — including a 4.36 40-yard dash — to profile as a plus athlete at receiver.
San Francisco took Stribling with the No. 33 overall pick, the first selection of the second round, after trading down twice out of the first round in April's draft. Cosell's comments suggest the 49ers may have gotten more value there than the draft slot alone would indicate.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL expert goes beyond box score for praise of De'Zhaun Stribling
