De'Zhaun Stribling's preseason debut against the Titans impressed more than just his coaches. Left tackle Trent Williams, sitting out the game and chatting with the broadcast booth, couldn't stop raving about the rookie receiver as the 49ers moved the ball down the field. "Yeah, I love Strib, man. Strib is, you know—what a heck of a pick," Williams said. "I don't know how he missed the first round, but to get a guy that big that can run that hard, and as tough as he is, as willing as he is as a blocker, as smart as he is, I don't understand how, you know, he missed out on—look at that!"
Trent Williams on De'Zhaun Stribling: "I love Strib. What a heck of a pick. Idk how he missed the first round. A guy that big, that can run that hard, as tough as he is, as willing as he is as a blocker, as smart as he is. I don't understand how we'd miss out on that." He makes… pic.twitter.com/yQpVTAoN1s — Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 14, 2026 Williams' praise was punctuated perfectly. Moments after he finished his thought, Stribling hauled in a catch to move the chains on third down, drawing a laugh out of the veteran tackle. "There you go! That's how to make me right," Williams said. "Now I know what to talk about! So, nah man, Strib is amazing, man. I can't wait to see how his career turns out. Hopefully, he can be another San Francisco great." Stribling, a second-round pick out of Oklahoma State this year, has drawn plenty of buzz throughout camp for a skill set that many evaluators felt should have made him a Day 2 selection. Williams joined the chorus of praise coming from other teammates like the 49ers cornerbacks, Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kyle Juszczyk and Mike Evans. Against Tennessee, Stribling backed up that reputation. The rookie finished the game with seven catches for 63 yards on eight targets — all in the first half. It's the kind of performance that adds fuel to the growing belief inside the building that San Francisco found a steal on Day 3 of the draft. With a proven veteran like Williams already in his corner, Stribling's rookie season is shaping up as one of the more compelling storylines to track as the 49ers round out their receiver room heading into the regular season. He should easily become Purdy's No. 3 reciever option behind Evans and Deebo Samuel, with the chance to earn more looks as the season progresses. This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Trent Williams gushes over 49ers rookie WR during preseason broadcast