What happens when the 49ers, subconsciously or not, run a 4.36-second 40-yard sprint away from the rampaging and repeating Wide Receiver Drama of the past several years?

De’Zhaun Stribling happens.

This is not to say, of course, that Stribling lacks the talent and passion of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings. He’s taller and faster than all three very accomplished WRs, though we’ll see if he can produce at the same levels or higher.

But listening to Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, and the rest of the 49ers’ brass rave about his “gold helmet” character as a main reason they took Stribling with the 33rd pick of the draft last month — much higher than outside analysts expected him to go — you could hear a theme.

And then on Thursday, at the start of this week’s short rookie minicamp, Stribling calmly walked in front of cameras and recorders and made it even clearer.

This guy probably isn’t the total opposite of Aiyuk, Deebo, and Jennings, but he sure seems less likely to combust on the 49ers the way each of those three players did at different points and in varying degrees.

Notably, he’s not a young rookie — he played at three schools (Washington State, Oklahoma State, and Mississippi) and is 23 — and Stribling comes off as even more mature than that. Like he’s got the world view of a steely five-year veteran.

“My father was a Marine for 17 years, right?” Stribling said. “So he kind of instilled a lot of discipline and a great work ethic in me. I’m a very calm person outside of football. Just kind of going through life. But when the pads come on and I’m on the field, I turn into a different mentality.

“I’m very process-oriented, very goal-oriented person. I like to get everything done to my maximum ability.”

Hey, maybe it’s not meant to be subtle at all: The 49ers gave Stribling No. 15, which was last worn by Jennings, who had contract issues with the 49ers last summer, played out his deal, and agreed to terms with the Vikings on Thursday. (Psst: He wasn’t going to return to the 49ers. That decision was made back in September, if not earlier.)

Aiyuk remains on the roster, mostly so the 49ers can make sure he doesn’t have an easy path to the Commanders, but was unofficially sent off long ago after torturous negotiations and subsequent ghostings.

And Deebo had the least acrimony but also was dispatched the quickest — he was traded to Washington in March 2025 and currently also remains unsigned as a free agent.

Though some of it probably was the 49ers’ fault and some of it was just natural NFL attrition, the 49ers have clearly had enough of watching their summer vibes get hijacked by the moods and negotiating tactics of their star WRs.

So they’ve done a big reset, on the depth chart and in temperament.

In the main spots now: free-agent signees Mike Evans (one of the most respected players in the league) and veteran Christian Kirk, and Ricky Pearsall, the 2024 first-round pick who is beloved by the coaching staff.

And in the role as the potential future WR1: Stribling, who didn’t put up huge numbers in college but had his biggest games for Ole Miss in last January’s College Football Playoffs and might have the most dynamic WR traits the 49ers have had in the Shanahan era.

Could Stribling get major time even as a rookie? On paper, he’s the 49ers’ best home-run threat; as they try to find a way to beat the defending champion Seahawks, who shut down the 49ers’ offense in the playoffs, the 49ers will absolutely be looking for any big-play guy they can throw out there.

“He’s a big, fast, powerful football player,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, “and he can help our offense in so many ways with the ball in his hand, as a route runner, without the ball in his hand [as a blocker] is a huge strength of his, the way he plays, his mindset.”

There’s also the 49ers’ treasured gold-helmet status, which they bestow to the draft prospects they believe have the highest character and who will fit into this team’s established blue-collar culture.

Stribling seemed well aware that he was a gold-helmet guy and knew exactly what it meant.

“I handle business well, on and off the field,” Stribling said. “I’m very prepared in every process I walk into. Just kind of being level-headed. I’m just trying to do my job to the best of my ability.'“

Kubiak said that he hasn’t yet spent a lot of time with Stribling, but that passing game coordinator/WR coach Leonard Hankerson has been talking about Stribling’s approach for a while.

“It stood out to [Hankerson] right away: ‘This guy’s different, this guy’s a pro, this guy’s all about the right things,’ and you get that feel for them when you get to know him in the draft process,” Kubiak said. “But it’s just a starting point.”

Stribling will hit the field in a 49ers uniform for the first time on Friday, which probably will be in a very limited fashion. The 49ers might not even do official WR drills.

Mostly, the rookie camp is to get their young players in the facility, get them the playbook, and start them on their way — if things go well — to major roles with the team. And, if things with Stribling go better than the 49ers have experienced with their top WRs lately, all of this will happen without a crisis every summer or so.