Ole Miss Football had two players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 33rd overall pick, the first selection of the second round. Offensive tackle Jayden Williams was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round with the 217th overall pick.
Stribling was ranked as the 76th overall prospect on the ESPN draft site, yet he was taken earlier than projected. He was ranked the No. 15 wide receiver in the class, but only five receivers were chosen before him, all in the first round.
The lack of communication between Stribling and 49ers general manager John Lynch or head coach Kyle Shanahan prior to the draft also made this a surprising pick.
“No, I haven’t met with them yet,” Stribling said in a press conference. “First time hearing from them, so (I’m) excited to know more about them and have some more conversations.”
Despite the lack of communication, Stribling was still pleased to be selected.
“I believe there was some interest, but it’s always a surprise and it’s always a blessing,” Stribling said. “In the draft, you never know what can happen, so (I’m) excited for all the opportunities.”
Ole Miss has a legacy of greatness at the wide receiver position. Stribling is the eighth Rebel wide receiver selected in the first two rounds since 2010. He joins Tre Harris, Jonathan Mingo, Elijah Moore, AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, Laquon Treadwell and Dexter McCluster (who played running back in college but receiver professionally) as former Rebels receivers in the NFL.
This offseason, the 49ers signed 32-year-old superstar Mike Evans. Stribling is excited for the opportunity to learn from the veteran.
“(I’ve) always been a fan of him growing up, so I think it’s a beautiful thing that I’ll be able to share the receiver room with him and learn off of him,” Stribling said.
Following Stribling’s selection, no Ole Miss prospects were selected until the Arizona Cardinals drafted Williams with the first pick of the seventh round.
Williams started 13 games at left tackle for Ole Miss in 2022. After a few injuries, he moved to right tackle this past season and started 15 games. He only allowed two sacks in 2025-26.
Williams looks to be a depth piece as a “swing tackle,” an offensive lineman who can play either right or left tackle, which eliminates the need for two backup tackles and frees up a roster spot for another position.
Williams to Arizona is a logical pick. The Cardinal offensive line is in desperate need of improvement. According to PFF, the Cardinals offensive line ranked 26th in the league. Also, considering the Cardinals selected running back Jeremiyah Love with the 3rd overall pick, they are likely looking to shore up holes up front to improve their running game.
No other Rebels were selected in the draft following Williams; however, multiple Rebels signed with teams as undrafted free agents following the draft.
Safety Wydett Williams Jr. and wide receiver Harrison Wallace III signed with the Cardinals, tackle Diego Pounds signed with the Ravens, linebacker Tahj Chambers signed with the Colts and tight end Dae’Quan Wright and safety Kapena Gushiken signed with the Eagles.
Zxavian Harris was ranked as the 63rd overall prospect on the ESPN draft site. However, following a possible offseason injury, he was not selected in the draft. At time of publication, Harris has not signed as an undrafted free agent.
