49ers rookie could be the surprise of the NFL
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49ers rookie could be the surprise of the NFL originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Will this be the year the San Francisco 49ers rise up to the top and once again regain the crown? Maybe. It would certainly help to have a star rookie on their roster.
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As it turns out, the 49ers do have a budding star in their midst. One NFL analyst sees incredible potential in one 49ers rookie and believes he could upset Fernando Mendoza and become the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Monday, John Breech of CBS Sports released a feature about the biggest storylines of the season. He has the 49ers in here for a good reason.
49ers rookie De'Zhaun Stribling is already impressing in the NFL
In the piece, Breech says that he believes the 49ers have a gem in wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. As for the numbers, last season with the Ole Miss Rebels, Stribling caught 55 passes for 811 yards and had the most receiving touchdowns on the team with six. Breech points out that he shined in the team's College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Georgia, too, catching seven passes for 122 yards.
"Surely he can find a role in this efficient San Francisco 49ers offensive attack -- and should have the opportunity, too," he adds. "Jauan Jennings was the most reliable wide receiver Shanahan had over the past couple of seasons, but he's now gone, and Stribling has the potential to wear the hat he did in this scheme."
If Mendoza doesn't get the playing time that he would need to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, there's a strong case to be made that Stribling could sneak up and snag that honor away from him. That would be a good thing for the 49ers.