Kyle Shanahan Explains 49ers' Picking De'Zhaun Stribling, Kaelon Black in NFL Draft amid Criticism

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan discussed the team's selections of wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling and running back Kaelon Black in the 2026 NFL draft.

Shanahan explained the process behind drafting Stribling with the No. 33 overall pick in a Thursday appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.

"We got introduced to him as a late second-round pick when you're first looking at him," Shanahan said (9:37 mark). "I always say you evaluate receivers as a first-round pick and then you find someone in the third round who you know is a third-round pick based off of consensus, height, weight and speed, how the league is viewing him. You know this guy's a first-round pick based off height, weight and speed, how the league is viewing him. Maybe his stats, whatever it is.

"And then you're like, 'Alright, do I wanna take this guy in the first round? Or do I wanna take this guy later? Man, I would much rather have this guy at the end of the second than this guy at the end of the first.' One, I might think he's better. Two, you can get him later. That's how it started out with Stribling, because that's how he was advertised. And then the more we watch him we're like, 'Man, it's not that we just like him because his value is better later. We actually like him more than some of these guys who will probably be taken at the end of the first round.'"

Shanahan also detailed the 49ers' evaluation of Black, who they drafted in the third round with the No. 90 overall pick.

"We had him as the second-rated back on the board," Shanahan said (7:30 mark). "That's just our evaluation of him. Right or wrong, that's our evaluation. Then you gotta decide where you think he's gonna go. I think that's the hardest thing with this league. You've got a guy who's not invited to the combine, so what does that mean? Man, maybe it means he's going in the sixth round. But then you evaluate him and you're like, 'Man, I think this is a third-round running back.' But you're like, 'Oh, he's not going in the sixth round because he wasn't invited to the combine, that's what we're guessing.' Well, let's put him as a sleeper in the sixth round."

"But then you start to watch the whole draft and you start to watch all the backs and evaluate all the backs together," he added. "This wasn't as deep of a draft as years past for running backs. When you look at it all and you take consensus of scouts, of coaches, it's a whole process but you start to get to April and the majority of our place is ranking him up there."

San Francisco's 2026 draft class wasn't rated as high compared to the rest of the league, receiving a "C-" grade from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department.

49ers general manager John Lynch previously defended the team's group of incoming rookies amid criticism of the picks.

Still, San Francisco will hope that Stribling and Black can develop into key pieces of its offense.

Stribling spent the 2025 season at Ole Miss, hauling in 55 receptions for 811 yards and six touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Black rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries while helping Indiana capture a national championship.