Sports

Rams reportedly lost wide receiver target to 49ers during NFL draft

Los Angeles Rams On SI · Jul 21, 2026 20:18 · 3 min read

Rams Reportedly Lost Wide Receiver Target to 49ers During NFL Draft — Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA;Mississippi Rebels wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (1) makes a catch against Miami Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott (0) in the second half during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A new report suggests the Rams had interest in wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling before the 49ers drafted him near the top of the second round.

During the NFL Draft, many expected the Los Angeles Rams to show interest in a wide receiver. However, instead of taking Makai Lemon in the first round, the Rams took quarterback Ty Simpson. The Rams ended up not taking a wide receiver until selecting CJ Daniels in the sixth round.

Entering the draft, the Rams didn’t necessarily have a glaring need at wide receiver, but adding a reliable player behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams made sense. Both Nacua and Adams are in the final year of their contracts. Additionally, the depth behind Adams and Nacua is thin with Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith.

Still, it wasn’t a total surprise when the Rams waited on wide receiver as the expectation is that they’ll move to more 13 personnel in the offense this season. However, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams did have interest in a wide receiver.

Report Suggests Rams Had Interest in De'Zhaun Stribling

One of the more controversial moments of the draft outside of the Simpson pick was the San Francisco 49ers moving up to take Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling. At the time, many thought the 49ers overdrafted Stribling, but the Rams may have forced their hand.

“Another team, supposedly the Los Angeles Rams, had eyes on him as well,” said Schefter. “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.”

According to Schefter, some teams had Stribling as the best wide receiver in the draft despite some analysts believing he had been overdrafted.The Rams would have had to wait a long time for Stribling, as they didn’t select until 61st overall. It’s very possible if the 49ers didn’t take Stribling, another team would have.

This isn’t the first time that the Rams and 49ers have been in on the same player. Back in 2021, the Rams beat the 49ers to Matthew Stafford. The next season, it was the 49ers offering more to acquire Christian McCaffrey. This appears to be another case where the 49ers were aware of the Rams' reported interest when they took Stribling. It’s unlikely that he would have made it to the 49ers in the third round with the 70th overall pick given that the Rams were there at 61.

Stribling would have made a lot of sense for the Rams given his blocking ability and dynamic playmaking after the catch. However, the Rams value route-running and Stribling had a limited route tree at Ole Miss.

Rams Shifted Focus to Tight End Instead of Wide Receiver

With the Rams missing out on Stribling, they took Max Klare who should develop alongside Terrence Ferguson and complement him well. The Rams could have still taken a wide receiver such as Antonio Williams, Ja’Kobi Lane, or Chris Brazzell, but instead opted to lean into their new 13 personnel identity and took Klare.

The Rams appear to be happy with their selection of Klare. While it’s unlikely that Klare has much of an impact as a rookie, he’s someone along with Ferguson who they will be able to build the tight end room around.