Who Should I Start? De'Zhaun Stribling or Zachariah Branch

Wednesday, June 17, 6:01 AM

The San Francisco 49ers' selection of Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft was viewed by many as one of the bigger reaches of the entire draft, but landing with one of the league's most respected combinations of quarterback and playcaller in Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan, Stribling is well-positioned to make an early impact. With Shanahan operating heavily out of 12 and 21-personnel sets, his wideouts in two-receiver formations have naturally seen an uptick in efficiency. While one of those spots is all but guaranteed to go to free agent acquisition Mike Evans, Stribling needs to beat out only Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk for something close to an every-down role. Stribling's size and tenacity as a blocker make him an obvious candidate to inherit Jauan Jennings' vacated role, and he could prove to be one of the better values in an underwhelming 2026 draft class. As RotoBaller's dynasty WR57, he is a low-cost target in rookie drafts or startups who could pay immediate dividends, particularly if All-Pro tight end George Kittle requires an extended ramp-up period to begin the year.