De’Zhaun Stribling hype train full steam ahead after 49ers preseason opener

De’Zhaun Stribling made a strong first impression in his San Francisco 49ers debut on Thursday night.

The rookie wide receiver was 7 for 8 in balls that were thrown at him with 63 yards, including a 32-yard reception in the 2nd quarter where he made a seamless spin to catch the ball.

“I thought he struggled a little bit on that first drive, but I think he got three drives after that and seemed like he executed all the stuff that went to him,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Stribling’s debut, “I liked how his hands looked out there, and he played physical.”

Following the game, Stribling admitted that he was filled with excitement while being “a little nervous.”

When the 49ers drafted Stribling with the No.33 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, it was considered a leap of faith, as he was perceived to have been taken too high.

Earlier this week, The Post reported that Stribling has been considered one of the more impressive players out of 49ers training camp, as multiple defensive backs and wide receivers coach Leons Hankerson have praised the strength of his hands.

“He’s strong. He’s attacking. He’s stepping back to [the ball]. With the contested catch situation, he’s able to come down with a lot of those,” Hankerson said on Monday.

Stribling’s strength was shown on his third catch of the game, when he ran a curl route against Titans cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, who immediately met Stribling’s back right when he touched the ball. Stribling held on and made the reception, giving San Francisco the first down.

“Getting the first hit out of the way, the first catch out of the way, I started getting into a groove. And then everything started rolling,” Stribling said.

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