Former KU Jayhawks O-lineman heads to San Francisco 49ers as 2026 NFL Draft pick
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- Enrique Cruz Jr. was selected by San Francisco 49ers with No. 179 pick in 2026 NFL Draft.
- He’s the first Jayhawk taken in the 2026 draft; earned All-Big 12 honorable mention in ‘25
- Cruz ran a 4.94 40-yard dash with a 35-inch vertical at the NFL Combine before the draft.
Kansas football had a number of players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Former offensive lineman Enrique Cruz Jr. was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 179 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. He was the first Jayhawks player picked in this year’s draft.
Not long after, the 49ers’ AFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, selected wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. with the No. 199 pick in the sixth round.
The 49ers drafting Cruz isn’t surprising. The 49ers are familiar with KU offensive lineman, having picked Dominick Puni in the third round of the 2024 draft. He is currently a starting guard for the 49ers.
Cruz climbed most pre-draft evaluation boards after an impressive spring. He had a strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, running a 4.94-second time in the 40-yard dash. He also had a 35-inch vertical jump.
“I know I’ve had that in me my whole career,” Cruz said in March of his looming pro football career. “I always had it in me. A lot of people were doubting me and I just live to prove the doubters wrong.”
Cruz also told reporters in March that he met with nearly every NFL team at the combine and American Bowl. He was the Jayhawks’ starting right tackle in 2025, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention.
Cruz transferred to Kansas from Syracuse, where he spent his first four years of college, ahead of the 2025 season. After a tough battle during training camp, he won the starting job for KU over Nolan Gorczyca.
He’s the latest KU offensive lineman to be drafted in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks drafted Bryce Cabeldue in 2025 and Puni was drafted the year before. Logan Brown, another former Kansas O-lineman, was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 draft. He was on the Seahawks’ practice squad this past season.
As for Henderson, who’s headed to Seattle, he spent one season with the Jayhawks. He transferred from Alabama, seeking a bigger opportunity in Lawrence.
He got it and made the most of it, earning first team All-Big 12 honors as a kick returner and third-team recognition as a receiver. He also garnered honorable mention in the running for the Big 12’s newcomer award.
Henderson started 11 games for KU last season, finishing with 45 catches for 766 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 25.3 yards per kickoff return and scored one return TD.
This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 3:30 PM.
