Enrique Cruz Jr., Emmanuel Henderson taken in NFL draft
The Jayhawks had a pair of players come off the board during the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, as Enrique Cruz Jr. was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (No. 179 overall), followed by Emmanuel Henderson Jr., who landed with the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round (No. 199 overall).
With the two draft selections, Kansas has now produced at least one draft pick in three consecutive years, marking its longest run since 1996-98 according to KU Athletics.
Henderson’s selection also ended a lengthy drought at wide receiver that spanned 16 years, He was the program’s first at the position to be drafted since Dezmon Briscoe went in the sixth round back in 2010. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have now had an offensive lineman drafted in three straight drafts, their best stretch in that category since 1971-73.
Henderson, a native of Hartford, Alabama, made an immediate impact in his lone season with the Jayhawks. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a kick returner and was named third-team at wide receiver. Henderson paced the team with 45 catches for 766 yards and five touchdowns, while totaling 1,237 all-purpose yards between receiving, rushing, and return duties. He also led the conference in kickoff return average at 25.3 yards per attempt. In Seattle, he reunites with former Kansas players Bryce Cabeldue and Logan Brown.
He transferred from Alabama, where he developed at Kansas after not seeing a lot of playing time.
Cruz, is from Chicago, turned in a strong 2025 campaign, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition. He started all 12 games at right tackle and was a steady presence up front, surrendering just one sack across 354 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He will now join former Kansas standout Dominick Puni on the 49ers’ roster.
Cruz transferred to Kansas from Syracuse for his senior year. He did not show up on campus until the summer and earned a starting job.
