De’Zhaun Stribling’s first NFL action doubled as a reality check he set for himself, even after he had a great debut.
The San Francisco 49ers’ second-round pick led the team in the preseason opener against the Titans, catching seven of eight targets for 63 yards. The signature moment came on third-and-5 in the second quarter, when Stribling twisted through contact for a 32-yard gain to move the chains.
Despite the success, Stribling wasn’t ready to call it a finished product. Speaking with Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein after the game, the rookie receiver pointed to a few areas he can shore up as he continues his NFL journey.
“A lot of things I can clean up,” Stribling said. “A lot of things I can be better at [with my] route running and then details of the offense.”
He also flagged his get-off as an emphasis point, saying he wants to better time the snap count so he can accelerate into his routes faster and pressure defensive backs with straight-line speed rather than relying on route craft alone.
The self-critique lines up with what coaches told the locker room. According to tight end George Kittle, head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed Stribling’s outing in a team meeting, praising individual plays while also flagging mistakes in the run game and route details — a sign the box score didn’t erase every rough edge.
Linebacker Fred Warner offered a different kind of praise, pointing to the rookie’s hands-first technique at the catch point as a trait that stood out on tape.
“You’ll never see him catch a ball with his body,” Warner said. “It’s always hands extended, coming back to the football.”
The 49ers drafted Stribling No. 33 overall out of Ole Miss after stops at Washington State and Oklahoma State, betting that his tools would translate even though he never topped 900 yards or seven touchdowns in a single college season. One preseason game won’t settle if he’s good or not, but it gave Stribling and the 49ers are great first start.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers top draft pick not satisfied despite red-hot start
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
