OL Carver Willis Press Conference

OL Carver Willis

Press Conference – April 25, 2026

San Francisco 49ers

Did you did you have any inkling that the 49ers were about ready to take you, or you were on their radar this year?

“I knew I was on their radar, but no, I had no idea that they were about to take me. So, it was a pretty big surprise here at my place. So, just fired up to be a part of it.”

How much interaction did you have with them leading up to the Draft?

“Yeah, I did an informal at the Senior Bowl and then a formal at the Combine. I’ve met with their o-line coach a couple of times when he actually came up to Washington as part of the coaching clinic. A lot of the coaches at Washington have deep relationships with the 49ers, and they model a lot of what we did at Washington off of the 49ers. So, kind of some interesting communication, but it was good.”

What’s your background at Guard or Center? Is that something that any teams talk to you about moving to those positions in the NFL?

“Yeah, that’s something every team talked to me about. So yeah, I’m happy to do it no matter where they need me on the line. I’ve kind of said this whole time. I just want a shot in a playbook, and anywhere they need me on the line, I’m game. But every team talked about interior.”

As you approached the draft and your background at both Tackle spots, what do you envision being the biggest challenge if you were to slide inside?

“It’s a different game inside in little ways. Things get on you quicker. Guys are a little bit bigger, so that adjustment I think will be interesting. Then at Center, there’s a Center I train with that talked to me, has helped me a lot throughout this process. His name is [Denver Broncos C] Alex Forsyth, and he’s been huge. He told me Center is the hardest pre-snap position, but one of the easier post snap positions on the o-line. So, for me, the adjustment to Center will be a lot more pre-snap communication than I’m used to, making the calls and doing all that. That’ll be an adjustment, but one I think I’m very capable of doing.”

What was the biggest adjustment you made from Kansas State to Washington?

“Yeah, part of it was weight. I put on a good amount of weight trying to stay above that 300 number. That, and then Washington’s offense really just freed you up to play fast and play physical. And thankfully, it’s the same exact offense that the 49ers run, so I’m very grateful for that. But yeah, it was a more fast-paced, more fun offense, and I think I fit that scheme really well, so I’m very grateful to be a part of that same offense going forward.”

Is it a challenge to stay above 300? And if so, what have you learned? What are some of your tricks to doing that?

‘For starters, eat. Eat all the time, especially when you’re not hungry, that’s when you have to keep the calories on. But it was more of a challenge to get there. It hasn’t been a challenge to stay above it, just because once you get there, you kind of know what it takes. So, for me, it’s really not that hard to stay above it. I have very scheduled food, and then I stick to it.”

What was your Senior Bowl experience like in terms of on the field? Where did you line up and how did you fare?

“Yeah, that was cool. Obviously, that was the first time I really ever played Guard, so it was really fun stepping into that and doing all that. I enjoyed it a lot. I thought I got better as the week went on, which is really all I could have asked for from that experience. That, and getting coached up by some high-quality coaches at the Senior Bowl was huge, so that experience was super beneficial and one I’m very grateful for.”

What are your thoughts on sharing a meeting room with T Trent Williams?

“It’s pretty cool. He’s one of those guys that is an all-time great. He is a legend. Any way I can learn from him, or any part of his game I can learn from, or his process, I’m excited for it. One of the first things I said when I got drafted to my family was, I can learn from Trent. I’m excited about the ability to go and do that.”

I’m sure you have some affinity for offensive tackle. When you initially start hearing from the NFL about moving inside, do you initially take any sort of offense to it? Or do you just understand that because of your measurements it is probably going to be happen?

“Yeah, I knew it was probably going to happen. I didn’t take any offense by it. There’s a lot of guys that have done it before me. You look at [former Dallas Cowboys OL] Zack Martin. Zack Martin is like, probably the best to ever do it. He played Tackle in college. So, I don’t think there’s anything to be offended by. I’m not a guy that’s going to sit there and be like; I’m a Tackle and have a huge ego about it. I like playing offensive line. Where that is on the offensive line, I don’t really care. I like playing offensive line, and I like competing, so for me, anywhere along the five is good with me. I’m not particular to Tackle, Guard or Center. Just tell me what to do and I’ll go get it done.”

Where’s home for you? Where are you at right now?

“Right now, I’m down in Chandler, Arizona, which is where my training facility is at. But home is actually Durango, Colorado. It’s a small town in southwest Colorado.”

What were your conversations with assistant head coach/offensive line Chris Foerster like when you were at the coach’s clinic?

“They were good. That’s before I really dove into how the 49ers run wide zone. I was kind of still doing it from my old team, if that makes sense, from the team I came from before I went to Washington, and they ran it a little bit differently. So, it was fun talking to him, and we even talked about the Combine. He said it was fun to see you change your philosophy and really buy into how you all run wide zone and that kind of run scheme. So, it was cool talking to him, talking and saying he noticed a huge difference, and he was really fired up to see the difference. So, it was great talking to him.”