49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk impressed by ‘absolute beast’ rookie WR De’Zhaun Stribling originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Kyle Juszczyk has only been around the 49ers’ rookies for a week, but he’s already seen some positives out of some of his new teammates.
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The All-Pro fullback joined “The Rich Eisen Show” on Friday and discussed some of his first thoughts on San Francisco’s No. 33 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, De’Zhaun Stribling.
“He’s got a locker right next to me, and I’ve just been super impressed with this guy,” Juszczyk said. “Just the maturity he has for a rookie stood out to me right away. He looks like an absolute beast on the field, the way that he moves for his size is really impressive.”
Stribling posted back-to-back seasons with 800-plus yards during his junior and senior years at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss, respectively.
The 23-year-old wideout stands just over 6-foot-2 and weighed 207 pounds at the NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash — one the best marks by a wide receiver — and posted a 36-inch vertical.
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“Just watching him go through drills and seeing the explosion and the acceleration from a guy of his size and the way he’s able to open up his stride so quickly, that really stood out to me and impressed me,” Juszczyk said.
And the 35-year-old fullback isn’t the only player impressed by Stribling, either. Quarterback Brock Purdy already has said he believes the wide receiver will “make an instant impact” for San Francisco.
Two of the 49ers’ top offensive players having such high praise for a rookie must bode well for Stribling’s confidence heading into OTAs next week.
