When the 2026 NFL Draft kicked off, the San Francisco 49ers were sitting pretty at No. 27 overall. But General Manager John Lynch had other plans. In a bold move that has fans and analysts buzzing, Lynch traded down not once, but twice—sliding completely out of the first round and into the top of the second.
The result? The 49ers landed Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of Day 2. They also used their newly acquired selections to snag Indiana running back Kaelon Black at No. 90 and Kansas offensive tackle Enrqiue Cruz Jr. at No. 179. Meanwhile, the teams that inherited San Francisco's original picks—the Miami Dolphins (No. 27) and New York Jets (No. 30)—cashed in on San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson and Indiana wideout Omar Cooper Jr., respectively. The Dolphins also grabbed Pittsburgh safety Kyle Louis later in the draft.
Critics have been quick to question the 49ers' strategy, especially the choice to bypass first-round talent for a receiver many considered a reach. But former 49ers GM Scot McCloughan, who led the team from 2008 to 2009, isn't having any of it. In a recent interview with The Athletic, McCloughan threw his full support behind Lynch and the Stribling pick.
"I liked him quite a bit, to tell you the truth," McCloughan said. "Some people didn’t, and I don’t understand why, because he’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got good ball skills. And he made plays. I don’t understand why they’re questioning the pick."
Stribling's college résumé certainly backs up that confidence. Over five seasons and 56 games at Washington State, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss, the 6-foot-2 wideout hauled in 216 passes for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns. At the NFL Combine, he turned heads with a blazing 4.36-second 40-yard dash and a 1.53-second 10-yard split—elite numbers that scream deep threat.
McCloughan didn't stop there. He went as far as to compare Stribling favorably to the Jets' Cooper, a player some expected to go higher. "I’d take Stribling in a heartbeat over Cooper," he said. "Because Stribling can run. Cooper is not a speed player at all. He’s like Deebo (Samuel)—just bulk up a little and do the dirty work. Stribling can do either/or. He can go outside and go vertical. You better hold on, because he can run."
McCloughan acknowledged he doesn't know Stribling personally or his medical history, but from a pure football perspective, he's all in. "Just from the standpoint of a football player, what I saw on tape, the guy’s going to be a starter in the NFL. He’s a big kid, too, now. He’s tall, he’s got length, he’s got a good catch radius."
For 49ers fans hoping to see their team reload for another Super Bowl run, this draft-day drama is a reminder that building a winner often means zigging when everyone expects you to zag. And with a former GM vouching for Stribling's potential, this pick might just be the steal of the second round.