Who is De’Zhaun Stribling? John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers believe he’s “the total package.” Lynch threw out cliches after the draft, calling Stribling a “Big, strong guy, plays with tremendous physicality and has legit speed for his size that shows up on tape.”
From an athletic perspective, it’s easy to see why the 49ers were interested in the wide receiver over 6’2” and 200 pounds, who was clocked with the second-fastest time in all of college football during the past two seasons at 22.3 miles per hour.
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That player will be useful in an offense that was far too congested last year. So dropping in a receiver who caught five of his ten targets over 20 yards last season will theoretically open up things for Brock Purdy and the Niners offense.
Between Mike Evans and Stribling, back shoulder fades and go balls will keep the opposing defense honest. That’s good news for Christian McCaffrey and the running game. Because if you leave a cornerback on an island, you’re susceptible to plays like the one below:
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Last season, Jauan Jennings only caught four of his 13 targets over 20 yards. He dropped one, and another two were intercepted. There are exposures of Stribling turning into a defensive back to break up a potential turnover. There are also examples of him winning downfield in contested situations.
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De’Zhaun Stribling showing he’s reliable and versatile
Not all wide receiver play is sexy or flashy. That’s not how you get drafted. The 49ers lacked discipline at the position last season. They were penalized 12 times — two of those were declined. They fumbled four times and had 26 drops. Not to pick on Jennings, but Purdy had seven interceptions when targeting him.
Stribling caught 72 percent of his targets last season. Of those 74 targets, Ole Miss’s quarterback had zero interceptions on throws his way, but converted 34 first downs compared to one drop. The son of a Marine proved he’s not going to make the same mistakes the Niners pass catchers did last season at the highest level in college football.
By now, you’ve seen all of the blocking clips. They are littered throughout Stribling’s film. Ole Miss relied on him to block defenders in the run fit, not just defensive backs. You can’t help but appreciate Stribling’s mentality on those plays.
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Take this one, for example. On play after Stribling caught a pass and fought for extra yardage, the Rebels asked him to line up as a Y-off tight end and execute a split zone block across the formation on none other than Reuben Bain. The play goes about how you’d expect a wide receiver blocking Bain to go.
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But if we’re focusing on the process, the idea that you can put Stribling in these different roles that’ll lead to mismatches throughout the game is intriguing.
I like to focus on what is being asked of a player on a specific series. When you’re watching highlights or cutups, you miss the down-to-down duties. In a playoff game against Georgia, four consecutive plays from Stribling should make Kyle Shanahan smile because he’s used in the backfield.
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In the first play, Stribling sneaks out of the backfield on a “slide” route. Instead of blocking the edge rusher, like Bain in the previous example, you get Stribling on the run and pick up an easy first down. Stribling is then used as a decoy from a similar alignment. On the next play, he’s tasked with being the lead blocker from the backfield. Lastly, Stribling gets a jet sweep.
That sequence is Deebo-esque. Again, nothing flashy, but the fact that you can put him in several different situations in the same series speaks to Stribling’s versatility.
Another area where Stribling should make a difference is in situations involving sudden change. He was Ole Miss’s go-to threat when they wanted to dial up a big play after a turnover or a missed field goal, or if the offense was in a “shot play” area of the field. San Francisco didn’t have that last season with Ricky Pearsall sidelined. With Mike Evans in the mix, now the Niners have three receivers capable of the big play.
OK, let’s go back to 2024 when Stribling was at Oklahoma State. In the video, I used Kansas State as an example because they had two NFL players in their secondary — one plays for the 49ers — and ran NFL coverages.
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When you take a player as early as the 49ers did, Stribling has to show far more than simply being an effective blocker, or gadget player, or even as a deep threat. We showed how useful he can be on a down-to-down basis. At Oklahoma State, you could see Stribling winning in isolated situations.
When receivers create multiple yards of separation on underneath routes, your eyes should light up. Getting schemed open or running double moves isn’t impressive. Beating a cornerback on a slant and ending up multiple arm’s length away from them are the types of plays that should move the needle.
De’Zhaun Stribling winning in isolated scenarios
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Stribling has the defensive back hopping the other way on the play route above. It’s a clean route that leads to yards after the catch.
Not every win a receiver has is when he’s targeted. Take this rep against the player the Chiefs traded up for, Mansoor Delane, for example. Stribling beats Delane instantaneously off the line and has him chasing for the entirety of the route:
When Stribling is progressing as a route runner forward and keeping his feet moving, he’s problematic to deal with.
He can get stuck at the line of scrimmage when he tries to muscle his way through the cornerback. There are also times when Stribling will get his feet outside of his frame, leading to balance issues at the top of his route. Those are all coachable.
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De’Zhaun Stribling after the catch
Jennings averaged 3.7 yards after the catch last season. Pearsall averaged 2.2 yards. Demarcus Robinson averaged 3.2 yards. What was previously a strength for the 49ers’ pass catchers held the offense back last season.
Aside from his speed, Stribling’s 2% drop rate, near 10% catch rate over expectation, and 2.29 run after the catch yards over expectation are all advanced stats that help paint a picture of what the 49ers are getting with their first-rounder.
It’s an ability that’s getting glossed over. Maybe it’s because the examples aren’t extreme or highlight-worthy. Look at these plays from Stribling after the catch, where he either avoids or initiates contact:
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Stribling had plays where he turned intermediate routes into 40+ yard touchdowns. Now those are extreme examples. Instead of cherry-picking, I used more realistic plays.
You can watch the full 30-minute video, which shows more plays across a three-game sample. When you watch the player and understand the offense that he’s going to, Stribling’s floor is higher than the perception.
A plausible scenario for Stribling would look something like what Deebo Samuel did in 2022. Down the line, the 49ers are hoping he’s closer to Jennings in 2024. Stribling’s ceiling during his rookie contract is probably closer to Brandon Aiyuk’s 2022 season.
Each of those is worthy of the No. 33 overall selection.
Read the full article here