Scot McCloughan on 49ers’ draft: ‘I’d take Stribling in a heartbeat over Cooper’ (paywall)
“I liked him quite a bit, to tell you the truth,” McCloughan said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Some people didn’t, and I don’t understand why, because he’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got good ball skills. And he made plays. I don’t understand why they’re questioning the pick.”
49ers draft analysis: NFL execs share intriguing takes on San Francisco’s 2026 class
“Stribling is not a dynamic route runner and does not run a full route tree, but he is bigger, faster, will block, and is a competitive guy,” the executive told Sando. “He is not as good as Aiyuk was. He is a better receiver than Deebo. He is a faster, better (Jauan) Jennings and a great guy. Those guys (Stribling and Evans) will block and do it all the right way, how the head coach wants it.”
49ers 53-man roster projection: New draft picks stick after some surprising cuts (paywall)
“Sorry for (pretend) cutting you, Jacob Cowing, but here’s the good news: You can probably keep your job if you stay healthy and make a few plays this summer. The 2024 fourth-round pick hasn’t done much of that in his first two seasons, spending last year on injured reserve with hamstring issues after his four-catch rookie season. The 49ers don’t like parting with their draft picks (see above) and could not have liked what they saw from Robinson, 31, in 2025 after signing him to a two-year, $8 million deal. Cowing, the team’s punt returner as a rookie, has the edge when it comes to providing special-teams value, which is important for receivers at the end of the depth chart. But the 49ers will take a $2.4 million dead-cap charge if they release Robinson. Cowing needs to take the next step for the 49ers to take that hit.”
49ers third-round pick Kaelon Black’s football obsession clear from young age
“Stacy Black would routinely awaken in the middle of the night and find her son following a familiar pattern.
En route to the kitchen for a glass of water, she would see her 8-year-old son, Kaelon, in front of the television watching replays of old football games.
She recalled at a similar age, playing with her dolls. She would spend hours transfixed in concentration working tirelessly on their hair. She eventually turned her life-long passion into a profession as a hairstylist.
“Kaelon would sit and just watch football for hours and hours,” Stacy said. “I could see his passion for football the same way I have it for the cosmetology industry.
“He would be up until 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, watching old games from the black-and-white days. And he’d go to sleep with a football in his hand like a pillow. The passion was definitely there.”
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