San Francisco 49ers’ Carver Willis speaks to the media at Levi’s Stadium Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers’ Carver Willis speaks to the media at Levi’s Stadium Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA – Rookie minicamp introduces two draft picks to the 49ers who each played offensive tackle in college.
Smart succession strategy behind left tackle Trent Williams, right?
Not so fast. And no offense to Carver Willis or Enrique Cruz Jr.
“You have to be in the top 1% of genetics to be a franchise left tackle in the NFL,” Carver Willis said Thursday. “As much as God blessed me with, I didn’t quite get that.”
Willis, a fourth-round pick, checks in at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds. He appears a bit heftier than Cruz, a 6-5, 313-pound fifth-rounder whose speed and athleticism wowed the 49ers.
San Francisco 49ers' Enrique Cruz Jr. speaks to the media at Levi's Stadium Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers’ Enrique Cruz Jr. speaks to the media at Levi’s Stadium Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Neither comes in with the pressure of a first-round or Day 2 pick who must be fast-tracked to replace Williams. Both Willis and Cruz could develop into starting linemen, and, honestly, that is the patient path for most in the trenches.
Willis is ticketed to slide inside at guard after playing left tackle last season at Washington and right tackle the prior four years at Kansas State.
“Tackle’s awesome. Don’t get me wrong. Loved it for the last six years,” Willis said. “Any talk about the NFL has never involved tackle, even with coaches in college. For me it wasn’t much of a shock when they said, ‘Hey we want you to play inside.’ I was like, ‘Great!’ ”
Guard is where the 49ers are thin, after Spencer Burford and Ben Barch left in March, and after Aaron Banks cashed in with Green Bay last year.
San Francisco 49ers' Carver Willis speaks to the media at Levi's Stadium Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers’ Carver Willis speaks to the media at Levi’s Stadium Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Cruz finished out his college career as Kansas’ right tackle after losing his starting role as Syracuse’s left tackle after Year 4 there. “Honestly the playbooks are probably way more detailed, and knowing all five positions and how they change depending on the defense,” Cruz said of NFL growth.
Williams (6-5, 320) and Colton McKivitz (6-6, 301) are entrenched as the 49ers’ starting tandem of tackles for a third straight season. Vederian Lowe arrived in free agency as a top backup, along with Austen Pleasants, Brandon Parker and Isaac Alarcon.
Williams, who’ll be 38 this season, agreed to a two-year, $50 million extension just days ahead of the draft, easing the 49ers’ burden of finding a plug-and-play replacement. Six years earlier, he arrived in a draft-day trade to succeed long-time left tackle Joe Staley.
“Trent Williams is phenomenal, no doubt. He’s the top 1% genetic wise,” Willis said. “That doesn’t come without work ethic. He’s the standard.”
Willis and Cruz both declared themselves willing to play anywhere along the line, and Willis took no offense to how his switch to guard (which he began at the Senior Bowl) seems next-level natural.
“I call it winning the genetic lottery. I didn’t,” Willis deadpanned. “One of the coaches at my agency said: Some guys are born with the V12 and I made the joke I’m trying to add a turbocharger to an inline V6; it’s really durable, dependable, reliable engine but doesn’t have the flash.”
Cruz was mesmerized by his new home once he arrived Thursday to Levi’s Stadium, saying: “Everything is phenomenal. I honestly didn’t YouTube it or anything, I just wanted to be surprised when I got out here. I was in shock. It’s a beautiful stadium.”
Now it’s time for rookies to make their first impressions on the practice fields, starting at their minicamp Friday and Saturday.
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