49ers Sign DE Cam Sample, Evaluate Draft Prospects

The San Francisco 49ers have signed free agent defensive end Cam Sample to a one-year contract. As the team prepares for the 2026 NFL Draft, multiple reports have identified several prospects the organization is evaluating, including wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., cornerbacks Malik Muhammad, Julian Neal, and Hezekiah Masses, and safety Xavier Scott.

Free Agent Acquisition: Cam Sample

Cam Sample joins the 49ers after spending four NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

• He appeared in 61 games, making five starts.
• His career statistics include 85 tackles, seven sacks, 26 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble.

Reported Draft Prospect Evaluations

Multiple sources indicate the 49ers are assessing a range of players ahead of the draft.

• Played college football at Indiana, operating from both the slot and outside receiver positions.
• At the NFL combine, he ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 37-inch vertical jump.
• In his final college season, he forced 27 missed tackles, a figure reported as the highest among wide receivers in his draft class.

Analyst Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported that Cooper could help the 49ers improve yards-after-catch production.

• Played at the University of Texas.
• In the 2025 season, he recorded 30 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and four passes defensed, earning second-team All-SEC honors.

Multiple reports state the 49ers have expressed interest in Muhammad.

• A San Francisco native who grew up in the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood, Neal played at Fresno State before finishing his college career at Arkansas.
• He became the first product of the San Francisco public school system to sign an FBS national letter of intent since 2001.
• In his final season at Arkansas, he led the team with 12 passes defended and two interceptions.
• He is projected as a mid-round selection in the draft.

• Transferred from Florida International to the University of California for his final college season.
• He led the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 13 passes defended and five interceptions during that season.
• Some analysts have suggested he could also play safety at the professional level.

He has been mentioned as a potential target for the 49ers in the fourth round.

• Played at the University of Illinois, where he was utilized as an outside cornerback with some safety responsibilities.
• Analysis from The War Room and other reports indicate some evaluators view him as a more natural fit at the safety position in the NFL.