Overview
- San Francisco traded back twice out of Round 1 and used pick No. 33 on Ole Miss receiver De'Zhaun Stribling to address a need at wideout.
- Draft analysts and fans called the move a reach, while general manager John Lynch said he only cares about consensus inside the building.
- Head coach Kyle Shanahan said waiting for a preferred player is risky because teams cannot know when another club will draft him.
- Vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad and assistant GM RJ Gillen said Stribling earned a 'gold helmet' label for leadership, work ethic, toughness, and strong references.
- Stribling totaled 216 catches for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns across five college seasons, and Robert Griffin III praised him as a true deep threat with reported 4.36 speed.