The idea of the San Francisco 49ers using one of their early picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on an offensive lineman carried some weight in the countdown toward late April, but ultimately, general manager John Lynch and Co. didn't see the value in grabbing a lineman until the third and final day of the draft, which jives with a notion of perceived value—why use prized resources on someone who won't be a true day-one starter?
However, the Niners opted for not one, but two O-linemen in the latter rounds of the draft: Carver Willis and then Enrique Cruz Jr.
Cruz, selected with the 39th pick in Round 5 out of Kansas, surely doesn't have an automatic pathway to a starting gig anytime soon. And that's not why San Francisco selected the athletic and mobile 6-foot-5, 313-pound lineman anyway.
Instead, the 49ers hope Cruz winds up having a trajectory not unlike one of their current starters, right tackle Colton McKivitz, particularly if a three-year plan is in the works.
49ers envision a long succession plan with Enrique Cruz Jr.
The Niners unquestionably were attracted to Cruz's sub-5.0 40-yard time at the NFL Combine, as well as his longer arms and ability to play both tackle spots.
Yet Cruz is going to need some refinement to compete adequately enough at the pro level, which helps draw some throwback comparisons to McKivitz, San Francisco's fifth-round draftee from 2020, who eventually turned into a starting tackle a few years later in 2023.
Granted, the 49ers hope they don't have to waive and subsequently re-sign Cruz, as they did McKivitz. But the point remains the same.
McKivitz is under contract through 2028, giving Cruz plenty of time to hone his skills and potentially emerge as a replacement right tackle. Of course, in a better-than-expected world, Cruz puts himself into consideration as future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams' heir apparent, although that presumption might be a bit too aggressive.
Still, the Niners are surely looking at their rookie as someone who can take time to develop into a key component in a few years, not necessarily in the immediate future, which gives Cruz plenty of leeway toward his own maturation process.
And it also means we have to keep tabs on his development for a while.
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