The Los Angeles Rams did not make a splash addition at wide receiver this offseason. There’s a chance it was because their guy got away.
In a draft class with no shortage of uncertainties at the receiver position, one thing was known: teams from the Shanahan/McVay offensive tree would love De’Zhaun Stribling. Despite consensus boards suggesting that the Ole Miss product would go somewhere closer to pick 100, the San Francisco 49ers grabbed him with the first selection in the second round (33rd overall).
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Now the Rams and 49ers are set to face off in Week 1. Los Angeles and Sean McVay may be unable to shake a feeling of envy that their division rivals just landed the next great receiver in this offensive scheme.
LA should be pleased with its top two receivers. Puka Nacua may be the best pass catcher in the NFL. Davante Adams is still lethal, although it’s fair to question whether he can remain healthy for the full season.
But behind Nacua and Adams, the depth chart gets shakier. You’d expect a little more potency from a team with Super Bowl expectations. There is also the matter of futureproofing, and the depth chart in 2027 looks bleak once you remove Adams.
The Rams sat out all of free agency without making any additions at receiver. We know they would rather have Ty Simpson over the likes of Makai Lemon and Kenyon Sadiq.
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Instead Los Angeles—in somewhat of a surprise—went back to the tight end pool and selected Max Klare in the second round. Klare isn’t projected to have much of a role in 2026. Did McVay and Les Snead expect Stribling to be available in the back of round two?
Despite appearing in only two preseason games, Stribling was targeted 13 times and caught 11 passes for 109 yards. He earned an elite and rookie class leading Pro Football Focus (PFF) offensive grade of 90.0. The 49ers may have drafted him too early compared to the media consensus, but the receiver is rewarded their confidence in him.
Stribling will have his work cut out for him in his real NFL debut. He’ll line up against Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the Rams’ secondary. The 49ers’ receiving corps could also be fairly short-handed, and San Francisco may need their rookie ready right out of the gate.
I’m not saying that the Rams should have taken De’Zhaun Stribling at thirteenth overall. Throwing a dart at the quarterback position is never a bad idea. The 49ers took their receiver far earlier than he was expected to be drafted, and now the Rams will see him twice per year.
If Stribling becomes a star, that may be bad news for Los Angeles.
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