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The San Francisco 49ers may have inadvertently added some more fuel to their NFC West rivalry with the Los Angeles Rams.
49ers second-round rookie reciever De'Zhaun Stribling was reportedly a hot target in the 2026 NFL draft, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Rams were one of the teams that "had eyes" on the Ole Miss prospect. But before Los Angeles or anyone could jump on him, San Francisco snatched Stribling up with the first pick of the second round at No. 33 overall.
“There were a couple of teams that I spoke to leading up to the draft that felt like that De'Zhaun Stribling was the best wide receiver in the draft. Another team, supposedly the Los Angeles Rams had eyes on him as well," Schefter said. "The 49ers didn’t just come up with this pick out of nowhere, they knew that there were other teams that had a very high grade on Stribling when the 49ers declined to trade out the top draft slot in the second round and take him there.”
The pick was widely panned as a reach at the time, but the team made it clear that their board didn't match the public consensus. Head coach Kyle Shanahan later said the 49ers would have taken Stribling at pick No. 30 if forced to choose, essentially confirming he graded as a first-rounder internally, well before the 49ers moved back twice and still landed him seven picks later.
Three months into the offseason program, that grade is looking better. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, whose locker sits next to Stribling's, has become one of the rookie's loudest early backers, saying simply that he's big, fast and physical. Juszczyk has pointed specifically to Stribling's willingness to block — throwing himself into defensive ends in OTAs without hesitation — as proof he already fits the physical standard Shanahan demands from his receivers. Quarterback Brock Purdy has echoed the praise, saying Stribling is a player with a lot of raw talent.
None of that guarantees Stribling becomes the receiver some evaluators believed he could be. But between the size-speed profile, the blocking praise and now real reps drawing attention from a franchise quarterback and a 10-year veteran, the early returns suggest San Francisco didn't just take a swing at No. 33 — it got a player good enough that a division rival wanted him first.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers swiped Rams 2026 draft target with top pick, per NFL insider
