When the San Francisco 49ers selected wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with their first pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they added a promising talent to an already stacked receiver room. Stribling joins a roster that includes veteran stars Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, both signed as free agents earlier this offseason. But for Stribling, the opportunity to learn from one of his childhood idols makes this rookie camp especially meaningful.

During the team's rookie minicamp this weekend, Stribling opened up about his admiration for his new teammate. "To have Mike Evans reach out, it was nice," Stribling shared. "I looked up to him a lot growing up, so it's kind of nice that I'm sharing a room with him. The opportunity to learn from him will be very special."

Evans is a proven NFL star with a Super Bowl ring, six Pro Bowl selections, and two All-Pro honors. Over his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has amassed 866 receptions for 13,052 yards and 108 touchdowns. Stribling, who sees similarities in their playing styles, is eager to absorb everything he can from the veteran.

"Yeah, just being that bigger body receiver, can contest the catches on releases off the line," Stribling explained. "So just very excited to be able to learn from him in this process."

As the 49ers gear up for the season, all eyes will be on Stribling as he works to carve out his role alongside one of the game's greats. It's a dream scenario for the rookie—and a potential game-changer for the team.