49ers News: The De’Zhaun hype train this summer could be legendary

But he said Stribling didn’t officially allay concerns until he ran a full route tree at Mississippi’s pro day on March 18, about five weeks before the draft. Stribling’s performance made an NFL assistant GM a believer, according to Caric.

“He said to me, ‘Bro, I’ve seen enough,’” Caric said. “‘This guy’s a baller. I’m going to get an early flight.’”

Brandon Aiyuk remains in limbo. How did we get here, and what comes next? (Paywall)
“How much longer can the 49ers hold Aiyuk in limbo? There’s nothing in his contract that forces the issue anytime soon. He was due $1.2 million in base salary and a $24.9 million option bonus (which originally became guaranteed in April 2025) in 2026, but the 49ers voided the guarantees in July. He remains on the reserve/left squad list — where players are not paid.

Practically, the 49ers’ first OTAs practice on May 27 might be an unofficial marker. Aiyuk is well-versed at making a spectacle of himself even if he isn’t practicing. He did that during his 2024 hold-in. And even though he wasn’t ready to officially practice during his ACL rehabilitation last year, he would still hang out with the wide receivers at the start of practice and run what might be called “shadow” routes while the group was going through its warmup and individual drills.

Maybe Aiyuk’s most effective move is something he failed to do last season — show up for work.”

Kawakami Mailbag: Examining the 49ers’ idiosyncratic draft style, and more (paywall)
“……I’d just say that wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, taken (at 33) about 70 slots higher than the Unimpeachable Mock Draft Consensus, looks to have the skill set to become a WR1 in Shanahan’s system at some point. He also might be a bust. There’s a chance of that with every player selected. There’s a risk in every decision….. The point is that the 49ers have a very specific way they look at draft prospects and it’s not like they’ve bungled every single time doing this. They did end up with Purdy in 2022. Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and Upton Stout could be long-term standouts from last year’s draft.

And the unspoken part: Some of the higher-ranked players, even if they turn out well for their teams, just don’t fit what Shanahan and Lynch are seeking. It doesn’t work if you draft the way outsiders want you to draft. You have to believe you’re taking the best guys for your systems. (Then you need them to be good, of course.)

Psst: Also, if you take George Kittle in the fifth round and Fred Warner in the third in back-to-back years, and you go 12-5 just last season with a playoff victory in Philadelphia, you maybe should have partial clemency from too many UMDC barbs.”

49ers rookie minicamp set for May 8-9: Schedule, draft class, and UDFAs
“Rookie minicamp: May 8-9…OTA offseason workouts: May 27-29, June 1, June 3….Mandatory minicamp: June 9-10.”

Assessing the 49ers’ UDFA class (paywall)
“Wesley Grimes, WR, NC State. Grimes is interesting because he really pops off the tape at times. He can make plays with the ball in his hands, and has a great catch radius with great speed. But he’s a horrific route runner. He nearly comes to a full stop before breaking out of his routes, and hung around the 400-yard mark for his college career. He’s going to have to be a special teams ace to make it, and someone like Malik Turner is already proven there.”