San Francisco spent the No. 33 overall pick on De'Zhaun Stribling this spring, a receiver who bounced from Washington State to Oklahoma State before landing at Ole Miss for his final college season. He wasn't a first-round name. On Thursday night, in his first taste of NFL action, he looked like one.
The Sleeper NFL account kept the clips coming throughout the night, and for good reason — Stribling wasn't just catching what was thrown his way, he was making tough grabs look routine.
By the time it was over, Stribling had hauled in 7 passes for 62 yards in a single preseason half. NFL analyst Hayden Winks put that number in context: among established NFL receivers, only a handful have ever hit 7 catches and 62 yards in a game — names like Xavier Worthy, Quentin Johnston, Jayden Reed and Marvin Harrison Jr. Doing it in a preseason debut is a different animal, but the volume and efficiency are exactly the kind of thing fantasy managers and coaches alike take note of.
The loudest co-sign of the night came from left tackle Trent Williams, a 10-time Pro Bowler who doesn't hand out praise for free. Williams broke down exactly what he sees in the rookie — size, speed, toughness and a willingness to block that stands out for a receiver — and openly wondered how a player with that profile fell out of the first round.
Trent Williams praises Stribling's size, speed and blocking, then Stribling comes down with a catch as Williams talks.
The Niners' broadcast booth reportedly started calling it 'The Strib Club' in real time, and it's easy to see why the nickname stuck. Stribling wasn't drafted to be the face of San Francisco's receiver room — that's still Brandon Aiyuk's and Ricky Pearsall's job — but a rookie who can win with strong hands and physicality gives Kyle Shanahan a legitimate No. 3 option, and maybe more, sooner than expected.
One strong preseason half doesn't make a career, but it's the kind of tape that gets a receiver more first-team reps as camp rolls on. If Stribling keeps stacking performances like this, the 49ers' second-round bet is going to look like one of the steals of the draft class.