The San Francisco 49ers completely reshaped their wide receiver room this offseason, saying goodbye to Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kendrick Bourne. While they added Christian Kirk for depth, the two headline moves were signing future Hall of Famer Mike Evans in free agency and drafting De'Zhuan Stribling in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

For Evans, this marks his first season outside of Tampa Bay—but the transition might feel more familiar than expected. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Stribling draws strong comparisons to Chris Godwin Jr., Evans' longtime running mate with the Buccaneers.

"Mike Evans might look across the formation and see a player who reminds him of his old running mate in Tampa Bay, Chris Godwin Jr.," Fowler wrote. "San Francisco's second-round receiver, Ole Miss' De'Zhaun Stribling, compared favorably to Godwin when he was coming out of Penn State..."

The 49ers surprised many by selecting Stribling with the No. 33 overall pick, especially with Denzel Boston still available. But head coach Kyle Shanahan and the front office clearly saw something special in the Ole Miss product.

The physical similarities are striking. Coming out of college, Stribling weighed 207 pounds to Godwin's 209. Their athletic testing numbers are nearly identical: Stribling ran a 4.36 40-yard dash compared to Godwin's 4.42, posted a 10-foot-7 broad jump to Godwin's 10-6, and both recorded a 36-inch vertical leap.

Of course, there's more to being a successful NFL receiver than measurables. But this comparison bodes well for how quickly Stribling and Evans can develop chemistry in San Francisco's offense. Evans has spent years mastering the art of playing alongside a versatile, sure-handed receiver like Godwin—and now he gets to do it all over again with a rookie who fits the same mold.