Enrique Cruz Jr. recalls 49ers' interest early in 2026 NFL Draft process
San Francisco offensive tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. meets with the media after the 49ers selected him No. 179 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Enrique Cruz Jr. recalls 49ers' interest early in 2026 NFL Draft process originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Enrique, how much contact did you have with the 49ers through the pre-draft process?
We had a lot of contact throughout the whole, the whole draft situation.
And, yeah, they came out here and I worked out for them and it all went really well.
Sorry, I'm so sorry.
We get, we need to get this guy some good wifi here.
Hello?
Is it done?
Try.
Yeah, you might wanna start over there.
Talk about your contact with the Niners during your pre-pre-pre-draft pro-process.
Oh, we had a lot of contact throughout the whole, the whole thing.
saw them at the American Bowl, spoke to a lot of the scouts and, the coaches came out here, then flew out to, Chicago.
I did a workout for them and, and yeah.
Were you surprised by this, the phone call from the 415 area code?
I, I, I was, I was, and I wasn't at the same time.
Coach said that he liked me a lot and stuff, so I, I was just waiting for the phone call.
I didn't know when it was gonna come.
I, I was super, super nervous just waiting, waiting for the phone call all day.
Can you, can you Enrique, can you kinda just describe your, your style and attitude as a lineman and, and how you see it fitting into the NFL?
Oh, my style and attitude, I'm just, I'm My style is I'm, I'm, I, I'm a grit guy.
I'm always gonna do what I gotta do.
I hustle all the time in every- everything I do, and I just, I'm always trying to finish the play, and I, I will do whatever, whatever it does to, to, to get, to, finish the play.
where are you right now and, who are you celebrating the draft with?
Oh, I'm with my whole family right now.
I'm back at home in Chicago.
I got a whole bunch of people right here.
I, I'm trying to tell them to, to be quiet for a little bit, but I'm Puerto Rican, you know?
These Puerto Ricans, they don't, they don't know what that means sometimes.
So I'm trying, I'm trying to wave them off, but they're not listening to me right now.
I'm sorry you guys hear them.
Enrique, what, what NFL tackles have you watched most film on, and, and maybe model your game off of?
Oh, I've definitely watched, like, a lot of Trent Williams, and a, a guy I model my game off of and I watch a lot is Christian Wilkins.
I, I was there at the Iowa Junior Day when he got drafted, and ever since then I just He's a really good tackle and he's, a guy that I like to, watch a lot and idolize.
How much do you know about Trent Williams and his, his play at tackle?
Well, he's one of the best tackles ever.
He's one of the greatest ever.
I'm just so excited to meet him and be able to learn a lot from him.
