De'Zhaun Stribling is perhaps the most underrated WR in 2026 Draft class, and his most recent 20o26 NFL Draft projection shows just how much underrated the Ole Miss star is.
ESPN's Jordan Reid projects Stribling as No. 93 overall, a mid-Round 3 prospect at best. The Top 30 visits that lined up his calendar all March and April long suggest otherwise.
Why De'Zhaun Stribling is a much hotter pick than general concencus
Stribling got an invite from almost as many NFL teams as a top Round 2 prospect, particularly a hot commodity among the NFL South scouts. Here's a list of them:
- Chicago Bears: His final visit that wrapped up just this week, looking for a weapon for Caleb Williams.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Heavily linked due to a potential 'Ole Miss reunion' narrative and A.J. Brown trade talks.
- Minnesota Vikings: Perfect for the explosive WR3 spot to complement Jefferson and Addison.
- New England Patriots: Met with Eliot Wolf and the staff in Foxboro.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: An early suitor who hosted him back in early April.
- Atlanta Falcons: Part of the NFC South interest.
- New Orleans Saints: Keeping the SEC talent close to home.
- New York Giants: Vertical insurance and a physical X-receiver foil to Malik Nabers.
And that's just the ones who formally have him on their Top 30. Cowboys, Chiefs, Lions, and Steelers all have him on their unofficial radar.
That's not a list that says mid-Day-3 prospect at best. It screams Day 2 potential with a long-shot, but still possible Thursday Night wild card.
Undoubtedly, there are better receiver profiles in this class, but Stribling's 4.36 blazing speed in the 40-yard dash gave the scouts at Indy a glimpse of what they were overlooking.
Keeping aside all the pros in his draft stock, just his visits alone reflect a player that teams won't wait past Friday to draft.
2026 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 23.
Add us as a preferred source on Google