Speed in the Trenches: 2026 Combine OL Risers and the Search for Trent Williams' Successor

NFL Combine • April 2026. Speed in the Trenches: 2026 Combine OL Risers and the Search for Trent Williams' Successor. 2026 NFL Draft, NFL Combine, Offensive Line, San Francisco 49ers, OL prospects, Josh Simmons, Spencer Fano, Monroe Freeling, zone blocking, Pick 27, Trent Williams contract.

NFL Draft • NFL Combine 2026

A comprehensive breakdown of 2026 Offensive Line testing results, on-field drill grades, and how the class's elite athleticism reshapes the 49ers' first-round strategy at Pick No. 27.

Trent Williams is still a San Francisco 49er — for now. The 12-time Pro Bowler graded third among all NFL offensive linemen in 2025, appeared in all 16 regular season games, and remains the best left tackle in football when healthy. He is also 37 years old, entering a lame-duck contract year with zero guaranteed money, a $47 million cap number the 49ers have no intention of carrying as-is, and a negotiation described by league sources as having a "huge divide" between the two sides. The 49ers didn't exercise his $10 million option bonus. A resolution — extension, trade, or eventual release — is coming. Nobody knows which one. That uncertainty is exactly why what happened in Indianapolis this week matters so much. With Pick No. 27 locked in and one of the most athletically gifted offensive line classes in recent memory freshly tested, the front office has a decision to make regardless of how the Williams situation resolves: do you secure his successor now, while this board is loaded, or trust that the future will sort itself out?

The 2026 Combine OL results didn't just inform that question. For several prospects, they fundamentally rewrote the answer.

The Testing Data: A Class That Tested Its Hype

The numbers don't lie, and this year the numbers were loud. Three tackles broke the sub-4.90 barrier — a threshold that, historically, separates zone-scheme anchors from power-only plugs. The average RAS score for the top 15 prospects reached 9.12, the highest composite mark since the 2022 class. Kyle Shanahan's scouts didn't fly to Indianapolis to watch players. They flew to collect confirmation.

Name	School	Ht	Wt	Arm	40yd	10yd	3-Cone	Shuttle	Bench	RAS
Josh Simmons	Ohio State	6'5"	310	33.8"	4.88	1.68	7.28	4.41	DNP	9.89
Monroe Freeling	Georgia	6'7"	312	36.1"	4.95	1.71	7.39	4.52	22	9.61
Spencer Fano	Utah	6'5"	300	32.8"	4.92	1.70	7.15	4.35	21	9.55
Earnest Greene III	Georgia	6'4"	320	33.5"	5.08	1.74	7.45	4.55	28	9.42
Francis Mauigoa	Miami	6'5"	332	34.5"	5.12	1.78	DNP	DNP	DNP	8.84
Kadyn Proctor	Alabama	6'7"	360	35.0"	5.31	1.85	7.95	4.88	24	7.15
Charles Jagusah	Notre Dame	6'7"	330	34.2"	5.20	1.80	7.82	4.75	30	7.98
Cayden Green	Missouri	6'5"	315	33.5"	5.15	1.79	7.62	4.68	25	8.21
Zalance Heard	Tennessee	6'6"	335	35.8"	5.25	1.82	8.05	4.95	DNP	6.52

The Risers: Who Moved the Board

↑ Josh Simmons — Ohio State

6'5" | 310 lbs | 33.8" arms | 4.88 40yd | 1.68 10yd | 7.28 3-cone | 35.0" vert | RAS: 9.89

ELITE ZONE BLOCKER

The Combine was supposed to confirm what the tape already suggested about Simmons. Instead, it elevated him. A 4.88 forty at 310 pounds is not a number that happens; it's a statement. His 1.68 ten-yard split is the true headline — it tells you how fast he accelerates out of his stance, and in Shanahan's outside-zone system, that explosion is the foundation of everything. Scouts were buzzing on the floor during the wave drill, where Simmons displayed the fluid footwork and lateral connectivity of a player built for the scheme from the ground up.

The historical comp writes itself: Tristan Wirfs ran a 4.79 at 320 pounds in 2020 and rewrote the standard for what a modern zone tackle looks like. Simmons' 35-inch vertical and his 9.89 RAS put him in the same conversation — and potentially at the top of it in 2026. Stock: Top 15, likely climbing.

49ERS VERDICT: Simmons is the dream scenario — but he's almost certainly gone before No. 27 barring a collapse. The 49ers need to know their price to trade up.

↑ Monroe Freeling — Georgia

6'7" | 312 lbs | 36.1" arms | 4.95 40yd | 1.71 10yd | 7.39 3-cone | 32.5" vert | RAS: 9.61

LONG-ARM PASS PROTECTOR

Thirty-six-point-one inches. Let that number breathe for a second. At 6'7" and 312 pounds running a sub-5.00 forty, Freeling answered every lingering question about his functional athleticism and then erased the concerns about his frame by posting 22 bench reps — not elite strength, but proof he can handle NFL-caliber interior power. His natural knee bend in the on-field drills drew comparisons to early-career tackles who later became Pro Bowlers, and the A-minus grade he earned reflected a player who still has mechanical ceiling left to reach.

The Brian O'Neill comp is apt: similar slender-but-athletic build, but Freeling's 36-inch arms — two full inches longer — project a meaningfully higher ceiling in pass protection. At pick 27, he profiles as the right side answer San Francisco has been searching for.

49ERS VERDICT: Primary target if available at 27. The arm length and athleticism combination is exactly what this offense needs to extend its championship window.

↑ Spencer Fano — Utah

6'5" | 300 lbs | 32.8" arms | 4.92 40yd | 1.70 10yd | 7.15 3-cone | 34.0" vert | RAS: 9.55

ZONE-READY / LATERAL ELITE

Spencer Fano was not the most decorated name walking into the agility drills. He walked out as the story of the OL testing session. A 7.15 three-cone at tackle is not a number you manufacture; it's a physical gift, and it's the closest the NFL has seen to Joe Staley's legendary 7.09 in years. Scouts from multiple teams — San Francisco and Miami noted prominently — lingered on Fano's lateral transitions in the same way talent evaluators watch a pitcher's delivery and just know.

The Staley spiritual successor comp is not hyperbole. It is a scouting observation grounded in measurable data. The concern is weight — at 300 pounds, he's lighter than the typical OT prototype — but Shanahan's system prizes fluidity over mass, and Fano's tape at Utah confirms he already plays with excellent anchor technique when engaged. He is coachable, scheme-ready, and potentially the most under-the-radar value in this draft at his position.

49ERS VERDICT: If Freeling is gone, Fano may be the most natural scheme fit in the class. The Joe Staley comp is earned, not manufactured. Do not overthink this one.

↑ Earnest Greene III — Georgia

6'4" | 320 lbs | 33.5" arms | 5.08 40yd | 1.74 10yd | 7.45 3-cone | 33.5" vert | RAS: 9.42

TACKLE / GUARD VERSATILITY

Georgia sent two linemen to Indianapolis who earned A-range grades, and Greene's 9.42 RAS confirmed that his athleticism is genuine, not scheme-enhanced. His 1.74 ten-yard split and elite short-area burst prove he can play tackle or guard at the NFL level — a versatility the 49ers have leveraged well in past drafts. His 33.5-inch vertical for a 320-pound interior/edge prospect shows the kind of lower-body explosion that doesn't show up in a straight-line forty. Stock solidified: top 20.

49ERS VERDICT: Valuable as a chess piece if the top tackles are gone. His versatility fits the 49ers' tendency to develop multi-position linemen along the interior.

The Fallers: Concerns the Tape Can't Fully Erase

↓ Zalance Heard — Tennessee

6'6" | 335 lbs | 35.8" arms | 5.25 40yd | 1.82 10yd | 8.05 3-cone | 27.0" vert | RAS: 6.52

POWER / GAP SCHEME ONLY

The 35.8-inch arms are real and they matter. Everything else that happened in Indianapolis for Heard was a problem. An 8.05 three-cone removed him from any zone-scheme conversation, and his visible struggles in the mirror and hoop drills — the C+ grade from evaluators was generous — raised legitimate questions about his lateral recovery speed against NFL edge rushers. Teams drafting for gap/power schemes will still find value; teams running outside zone schemes like San Francisco will move on without regret. Stock: Late second round.

49ERS VERDICT: The arm length is tantalizing, but the agility profile disqualifies him from Shanahan's scheme. A player for someone else's board.

↓ Kadyn Proctor — Alabama

6'7" | 360 lbs | 35.0" arms | 5.31 40yd | 1.85 10yd | 7.95 3-cone | 4.88 shuttle | RAS: 7.15

GAP / POWER SPECIALIST

Proctor's sheer size and power are undeniable. Watching him dominate the drive block portion of the drills was like watching a bulldozer find its purpose. The issue is everything that comes after the initial collision. His 4.88 shuttle represents limited lateral recovery speed for a tackle who will be asked to redirect against inside counter moves and speed-to-power conversions on every third-and-long of his career. For a power scheme team, this is a cornerstone. For San Francisco at pick 27? The scheme math doesn't work. Stock: Sliding toward late first round.

49ERS VERDICT: If the board forces the 49ers to choose between Proctor and a significant value gap, the conversation needs to happen. But he should not be the first call on draft night.

↓ Charles Jagusah — Notre Dame

6'7" | 330 lbs | 34.2" arms | 9.5" hands | 5.20 40yd | 7.82 3-cone | 4.75 shuttle | RAS: 7.98

DEVELOPMENTAL PROSPECT

Hand size is one of those measurements that analysts debate endlessly until a player with small hands gets bull-rushed into his own quarterback by a 280-pound defensive end, and suddenly nobody is debating anymore. At 9.5 inches for a 6'7" tackle, Jagusah's hands raised the question the tape had not yet answered. Combined with arm length that scouts noted as shorter than expected for his frame, and an unconfirmed shoulder concern circulating through medical circles, Indianapolis moved him from a projected early second pick to a player most teams are now grading in the early third. Stock: Early third round.

49ERS VERDICT: Day 3 range at best. Not a 49ers target unless he falls dramatically and the medical reports come back clean.

49ers at Pick No. 27: Three Scenarios

Scenario A — The Sweet Spot Holds

Monroe Freeling or Spencer Fano is available at 27. San Francisco selects, the offensive line is rebuilt for the next window, and the 49ers faithful breathe. This is the best-case scenario, and based on current board projections, it's achievable — but not guaranteed. The Raiders at 21 and the Commanders at 24 are both tackle-needy, and either could pull the trigger on Freeling.

Scenario B — The Trade-Up

If Simmons is still on the board at pick 18 or 19 and the 49ers can identify a willing partner — a team pivoting to a non-tackle priority — Lynch and Shanahan should be making calls. Simmons' 9.89 RAS is a franchise-altering player; trading picks 27 and a Day 2 selection to move into the early 20s for him is not an overpay. It's an investment with a historically validated return.

Scenario C — The Pivot

Every target is gone at 27. San Francisco takes best available at another position — edge, corner, or interior OL — and finds their tackle in round two. Earnest Greene III has the versatility to play guard at a high level in the short term while a longer-term RT answer develops. This is the least satisfying scenario and the one the front office must plan for anyway.

"The 10-yard split and the 3-cone drill remain the primary indicators for the 49ers' outside-zone blocking scheme, where lateral agility and 'snap' out of the stance are non-negotiable." — 2026 OL Combine Research Packet

Historical Comps: The Legacy Context

Every generation of 49ers football lives in comparison with the one before it, and this draft class is no different. The comp sheet for this OL group is legitimately compelling:

Josh Simmons (Ohio State) vs. Tristan Wirfs (2020): The numbers line up almost exactly — an outlier athletic profile at a premium position. Wirfs was the gold standard. Simmons is chasing it.

Monroe Freeling (Georgia) vs. Brian O'Neill (2018): Similar slender-but-athletic build, but Freeling's 36-inch arms vs. O'Neill's 34 inches project a meaningfully higher ceiling as a pass protector at the next level. O'Neill became a reliable starter. Freeling has the tools to be more.

Spencer Fano (Utah) vs. Joe Staley (2007): This is the one that will mean the most to the Faithful. Fano's 7.15 three-cone is the closest any tackle has come to Staley's 7.09 in recent memory. For a franchise that built two eras of offensive football on Staley's athleticism and intelligence at left tackle, finding a spiritual successor in the late first round would be a deeply satisfying full circle.

Sources: NFL.com Official Combine Tracker 2026; Pro Football Focus (PFF) OL Drill Grades and Advanced Metrics; The Athletic — Dane Brugler's "The Beast" Draft Guide Updates; CBS Sports NFL Combine Live Blog & Analysis; ESPN — Todd McShay's 2026 Draft Big Board; Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department Official Results; Sports Illustrated (Albert Breer) — Notes from the Field: OL Testing; RelativeAthleticScore.com (Kent Lee Platte) — 2026 OL RAS Leaderboard.

Stay locked into Niners Faithful as we continue our 2026 NFL Draft coverage through Pittsburgh.

We will be updating our OL Big Board as Pro Day results come in — including Francis Mauigoa's Miami Pro Day on April 12th — and tracking every board move between now and draft night.

The Quest for Six is alive.

Jon Camposano • Founder & Editor-in-Chief

A proud Hogan Spartan from Vallejo's 707, Camposano brings the analytical rigor of an engineer and the storytelling instincts of a cultural journalist to independent 49ers coverage. Follow @NinersFaithSF on X.