Background and College Career
Enrique Cruz Jr. was born in Chicago and raised by his mother, Vanessa Garcia. He attended Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois, where he excelled as a three-star recruit. After redshirting at Syracuse in 2021, Cruz started five games as a right tackle in 2022 and 13 games as a left tackle in 2023. He transferred to Kansas for the 2025 season as a fifth-year senior and earned All-Big 12 honors while starting at right tackle.
Playing Style and Strengths
Cruz displays adequate quickness to reach his assignment on time and has good physical tools with a well-distributed frame. He plays heavy at contact in the run game, has big hands with adequate length to maintain spacing, and shows enough range to get out in space on screens and pulls. His motivated and positive mindset impressed the Kansas coaching staff despite his brief time on the roster.
Areas for Development
Scouts noted that Cruz is still green in several areas. He tends to get too upright in pass sets and as a run blocker, has shaky set points against speed threats, and struggles with impatience when redirecting against inside moves. His head-ducking technique leads to balance breakdowns, and he needs to improve his tempo and timing on combinations as well as his ability to track targets and anticipate stunts.
Draft Evaluation
The Athletic graded Cruz as a sixth-round prospect and characterized him as an interesting Day 3 flier. Despite being barely graded by NFL teams entering the 2025 season, his steadying play and encouraging 2025 tape forced evaluators to take notice. The 49ers used the pick as part of their strategy to double up on offensive line selections in the 2026 draft.
Physical Attributes
Cruz stands 6'5.25 inches tall and weighs 310-313 pounds. He has 10.375-inch hands and a 34.875-inch arm length with an 82.625-inch wingspan. He ran a 4.94-second 40-yard dash and a 1.74-second 10-yard split at his pro day. 
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