49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Assesses De'Zhaun Stribling's Performance Against Titans

A very impressive debut performance for De'Zhaun Stribling.

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (15) is tackled by Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor (24) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first of the San Francisco 49ers’ three preseason games is in the books, and rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling wasted no time making an impact.

His stock has continued to rise throughout training camp, an encouraging development considering the skepticism surrounding his selection in April.

Stribling has earned widespread praise from the coaching staff throughout camp, and he backed it up in his preseason debut by hauling in seven of eight targets for 63 yards.

Kyle Shanahan evaluates De'Zhaun Stribling's performance

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches the action in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It seemed good. I mean, we'll see when we watch the film. I thought he struggled a little bit on the first drive, but I think he got three drives after that," shared Kyle Shanahan to reporters post game.

"It seemed like he executed all the stuff that went to him, and I liked how his hands looked out there and played physical."

"He's moving around, yeah. We're switching him up throughout the week and he did a number of different things today, too."

That may sound like bad news, but it’s actually encouraging when you consider Shanahan’s standards. It’s only the first preseason game, but this is about as perfect a start as he could have hoped for.

Still, it’s early days, and there’s plenty of room for Stribling to build on an impressive start. With injuries already taking their toll on the 49ers’ receiving corps, he should have plenty of opportunities to continue making his mark throughout the preseason.

If he can continue chipping away and improving, it wouldn't be surprising to see Stribling finding himself with a more significant role when San Francisco opens the regular season in Australia.

What De'Zhaun Stribling thought of his own performance

"I felt great out there. It felt great, like it was really clicking with the offense and hearing it in the huddle and lining up on the field," he shared.

"So, I'm very grateful that I had the opportunities and the passes that I did, you know, I was just trying to translate that and take all the coaching points so I can be better next week."

His mindset deserves just as much praise as his performance. It's obvious he's going to make the 53-man cut, but his involvement could be far larger than many initially expected.

If everything continues on its current trajectory, the talk of Stribling being a reach when the 49ers selected him with the No. 33 pick could soon be silenced.