The San Francisco 49ers raised eyebrows when they selected De'Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—a reach by most projections. But a recent forecast from Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport suggests the team might compound that surprise with an even more puzzling decision: keeping their rookie second-rounder on the bench.

Davenport projects the 49ers' starting wide receiver room for 2026 as Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and Ricky Pearsall. While Evans and Pearsall as starters come as no shock—Evans brings veteran star power, and Pearsall is a developing talent—the inclusion of Christian Kirk over Stribling is where things get head-scratching.

Kirk signed a cheap free-agent deal, making him a low-risk addition, but he's not the dynamic playmaker the 49ers drafted Stribling to be. The only logical explanation for this projection is that it reflects the first few weeks of the season, assuming Stribling needs time to learn Kyle Shanahan's complex offense before seeing the field. That scenario is possible, but it would be a disappointment for a team's top pick to have a clear path to starting and still sit.

Stribling's upside is exactly what the 49ers should be tapping into right away. After a draft pick that drew criticism from analysts and fans alike, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan need to prove the doubters wrong. The best way to do that is by getting Stribling into the starting lineup from Day 1. If he's watching from the sidelines while Kirk takes snaps, it would feel like a wasted opportunity—and a move that makes almost no sense for a team looking to maximize its offensive potential.