De'Zhaun Stribling Camp Update — August 23: Eleven Catches Through Two Games

De'Zhaun Stribling is up to 11 catches for a hundred nine yards through two preseason games. Thursday against the Chargers he caught four passes for 46 yards — three of them on Brock Purdy's opening drive, plus a 21-yarder from Mac Jones — per Brooke Evans at 49ers.com and Kirk Larrabee at 49ers Webzone. Two days earlier he'd caught two contested red-zone touchdowns in the joint practice at the Chargers' facility, per David Bonilla at 49ers Webzone. The honest column has entries too: he dropped a would-be score Thursday, one Kyle Shanahan called difficult but catchable — "That's his strength is his hands," per Larrabee — and he came out of Saturday's practice with a shoulder injury the team is calling day-to-day, per Bonilla. That last item is the only thing between this week and a clean sweep.

The context that matters: the production is coming against everyone. Last week's seven catches came against Tennessee's backups; this week's three with Purdy came against the Chargers' game defense on the one drive the starters played, and the two joint-practice scores came in contested red-zone work. The rookie second-round pick has been the most productive receiver on the field in every setting August has offered.

Back in June the preview preached patience with a day-two receiver in Shanahan's building; the injuries above him stopped requiring it, and he has answered every opportunity they created. What's left to watch is the shoulder first — day-to-day is probably nothing, but it cost him Saturday — then how the target tree sorts once cutdown settles the room on Sunday, with Kirk still out and Deebo Samuel working in. We'll check after cut day.

_Data via nflverse._