While the San Francisco 49ers were originally supposed to make their first selection in the 2026 NFL draft at No. 27 overall, general manager John Lynch decided to trade back twice and out of the first round completely.
San Francisco ended up taking Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, and they used their other gained selections on Indiana running back Kaelon Black (No. 90) and Kansas offensive tackle Enrqiue Cruz Jr. (No. 179).
With the picks that the 49ers traded, the Miami Dolphins took San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson (No. 27) and Pittsburgh safety Kyle Louis (No. 138), and the New York Jets took Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (No. 30).
San Francisco has been heavily criticized for the trades and the selection of Stribling, but former 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan (2008-09) is coming to Lynch’s defense.
“I liked him quite a bit, to tell you the truth,” McCloughan said of Stribling to “The Athletic” last week. “Some people didn’t, and I don’t understand why, because he’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got good ball skills. And he made plays. I don’t understand why they’re questioning the pick.”
Stribling, with stints at Washington State, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss, caught 216 passes for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns in 56 games over five years. At 6-foot-2, he ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash with a 1.53-second 10-yard split at the NFL combine.
“I’d take Stribling in a heartbeat over Cooper,” McCloughan said. “Because Stribling can run. Cooper is not a speed player at all. He’s like Deebo (Samuel) — just bulk up a little and do the dirty work. Stribling can do either/or. He can go outside and go vertical. You better hold on, because he can run…
“And I don’t know the person, I don’t know the medical and that kind of crud. But just from the standpoint of a football player, what I saw on tape, the guy’s going to be a starter in the NFL. He’s a big kid, too, now. He’s tall, he’s got length, he’s got a good catch radius. He’s pretty cool.”
The 49ers desperately needed wide receiver help this offseason, and after signing Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency, Stribling could be an excellent third option at the position and potential successor to one of them in the coming years.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Former 49ers GM defends team’s controversial NFL draft decision
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
