Enrique Cruz Jr. NFL Draft: When Will He Hear His Name Called?

Kansas right tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. only played one season at Kansas, but he made the most of it. The Syracuse transfer started all 12 games at right tackle for the Jayhawks and was named to the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Team. And after a strong showing at the American Bowl and the NFL Combine, Cruz's name has skyrocketed on Draft Boards heading into next month's draft.

Kansas' Enrique Cruz Jr.'s impressive Combine continues with a 4.95u

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dHswaB315X
— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2026

Enrique Cruz Jr. is a OT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.85 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 1512 OT from 1987 to 2026.

Pending agilities and bench, times unofficial.https://t.co/Hhj4ipNeAQ pic.twitter.com/JjftAD2bKR
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 1, 2026

Enrique Cruz Jr. (#77) Has surprising mobility and explosiveness for an offensive tackle that is 6'6. He is a developmental prospect that hasn't gotten a lot of media coverage. pic.twitter.com/bcsoandwfK
— Brian Maafi (@BmaafiNFL) March 20, 2026

But when will Cruz Jr. hear his name called? We'll get to that later. But first, let's take a look at Cruz's background.

Cruz Jr.'s Background

Cruz Jr. began his college career at Syracuse and had his highs and lows. Cruz Jr.'s best season was in 2023, when he started every game at left tackle and didn't allow a sack, but things didn't go so well the following year.

Cruz Jr. played in just three games and ended up in Lawrence the following season. Cruz Jr. won the starting job right out of camp and never looked back, though it was an up-and-down season collectively for Kansas; Cruz Jr. was one of the few bright spots.

And things only went up for him after that. Cruz Jr. had a strong showing in the American Bowl and caught everyone's attention when he ran the 40-yard dash under five seconds.

So, that brings us back to our original question. When will Cruz Jr. hear his name called?

I don't expect Cruz Jr. to get taken any earlier than Day 3, but I don't think he'll have to wait too long. Most pundits have Cruz Jr. going somewhere in the fifth round, and I agree. And I've got the New York Jets selecting Cruz Jr. with the 179th overall pick.

Why Cruz Jr. to the New York Jets makes sense?

This pick makes sense for a lot of reasons. One, the Jets really struggled in pass protection last year, so something has to be done. New York allowed the second-most sacks last year, so getting a guy like Cruz Jr., who can play both tackle positions gives the offense some much-needed versatility.

Two, the Jets want to be a run-first football team, and Cruz Jr. is at his best as a run blocker. And with his speed at his size, Cruz Jr. would be a perfect guy to use on third down if the Jets choose to go with an extra offensive lineman.

Three, the Jets know that if they're going to get the best out of Geno Smith, they must protect him. And in case either starting tackle -- Olu Fashanu or Armand Membou -- goes down with an injury, they need someone who can fill that void. Cruz Jr. might not be ready to start early in the season, but I wouldn't be surprised if he can be that guy by Week 8.

I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a match made in heaven, but if Cruz Jr. is still available at No. 179, and the Jets haven't drafted more than one offensive lineman, don't be surprised if they take him.