It makes more sense from this perspective.<\/p>\n
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\nSan Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has been receiving plenty of criticism as of late for the many reaches his team had throughout the 2026 NFL Draft, including Indiana running back Kaelon Black in Round 3 and Ole Miss wide receiver De\u2019Zhaun Stribling with the very first pick of the second round.<\/p>\n
Black\u2019s case, in particular, is unique because the Niners had nearly all day on April 24 to consider the selection after trading down twice in Round 1 to bump their first pick to No. 33 overall.<\/p>\n
And yet Stribling was widely viewed as a late second- or early third-round pick, at best. That classifies as a reach, and San Francisco is certainly hearing about it from analysts and pundits.<\/p>\n
That said, the reach might be a bit easier to swallow if one takes something into consideration.<\/p>\n
De\u2019Zhaun Stribling isn\u2019t a 49ers reach if fans consider this perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n Again, the 49ers traded down twice, the first taking place after the Cleveland Browns grabbed Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion, a prospect widely linked to Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.<\/p>\n If Stribling was the No. 2 option on the Niners\u2019 big board, they seemed to understand his value 33rd overall wasn\u2019t great, which helps explain why NFL Network\u2019s Tom Pelissero reported San Francisco was listening to calls for that pick leading up to the round\u2019s kickoff:<\/p>\n Trade action could continue into Round 2, where the 49ers are getting calls about the No. 33 pick. @gmfb<\/a> @nflnetwork<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yzZDQsvLgq<\/a><\/p>\n — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n