Enrique Cruz Jr.

● Good-looking frame with well-distributed mass and minimal bad weight ● Adequate quickness out of stance to reach his spot on time ● Functional feet and hips to operate in space ● Big, physical hands and adequate length to maintain spacing between himself and defenders ● Plays heavy at contact in run game to push defensive linemen over a gap ● Has enough range to get out in space on screens and pulls ● Impressed Kansas staff with motivated, positive mindset, despite only being on the roster for a short time

● Gets too upright in pass sets and into contact as a run blocker ● Shaky set points when he feels threat of speed, creating short corners ● Impatient — has a tough time redirecting vs. inside moves ● Head-ducker into engagement, which leads to balance breakdowns ● Underdeveloped tempo and timing on combinations ● Needs to do a better job tracking targets and connecting on the move ● Inconsistent anticipating stunts and delayed blitzes ● Saw just 33 snaps in 2024 after losing starting job

A one-year starter at Kansas (and a starter for two-and-a-half years overall), Cruz locked down the right tackle role in offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski’s balanced scheme. He showed promise as an underclassman left tackle at Syracuse, but he lost his starting job under a new staff in 2024. He transferred to Kansas for his final season of eligibility and moved to right tackle, where he earned All-Big 12 honors and an NFL Combine invite. Barely graded by NFL teams entering the 2025 season, Cruz forced evaluators to take notice with his steadying play. More quick than explosive, he reaches landmarks well and has the size and length to tie up rushers. He flashes vice-grip hands when he connects, but his punch timing and overall hand usage are works in progress (see his reps versus David Bailey and Romello Height on the 2025 Texas Tech tape). He has functional strength, although it can be negated by spotty technique. Overall, Cruz is still green in areas and 244 Back to table of contents -- 248 of 629 -- learning how to use all his tools in unison, but the encouraging play on his 2025 tape gives NFL teams optimism. He could be an interesting Day 3 flier for a team running a zone scheme.