Brock Purdy has already proven to be one of the NFL‘s most efficient quarterbacks. He posted the highest passer rating in the league in 2023 of 113.0 after throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, completing 69.4% of his passes. Across four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, he has a career completion percentage of 67.9%.
All of that has been with a wide receiver room that’s seemingly always in flux and tight end George Kittle operating as Purdy’s most reliable pass catcher. But things already look different heading into 2026, with San Francisco going out and signing future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and vertical threat Christian Kirk.
Now, Purdy is already warning the league of another riser, incoming rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling.
“Dude is a baller, and I mean that,” Purdy said on KNBR. “It’s hard to say that for a rookie, right off the jump, but just seeing him run routes, going up against defenders in OTAs and then in camp yesterday. He’s a great route runner. He’s smart. He’s learned the playbook really quick, which is awesome. And then, on top of that, you can see his strength, too.”
“I’m excited to see what he does, but all of us, all the quarterbacks in the room, were like, ‘Alright, this guy’s going to be a guy that’s going to come in and play,’” Purdy added.
The 49ers selected Stribling with the 33rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after a strong five-year college career split between Washington State, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss. In his 2025 season with the Rebels, he emerged as one of the best pass catchers in the SEC, finishing with 811 yards and six touchdowns on a career-high 55 catches, averaging 14.7 yards per catch.
He only upped his profile at the NFL Combine, running a 4.36 40-yard dash and posting a 36-inch vertical jump as a bigger-bodied 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver. He was widely projected to be an early second-round pick, which is exactly what San Francisco made him — the first pick off the board in Round 2 and the sixth receiver taken in the draft.
Looking ahead at his rookie season, he likely still slots behind Evans and Kirk on the depth chart, and even while recovering from a torn Achilles, Kittle will get his fair share of targets. But that No. 3 spot in the receiver rotation is open for Stribling to steal, overtaking former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall.