While the television coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine centers primarily around the on-field workouts, the main event is what happens in the interview room.

For many fans who don't pay close attention to college football, the Combine is their first exposure to some of these prospects.

However, for the teams, the week of interviews helps them supplement their opinion of the player's tape with a critical assessment of his character and his football intelligence.

With so many prospects in Indianapolis for the week, it can be difficult to keep track of the reported formal and informal interviews, so I've put together a tracker to help you stay up to date.

Below are the players the San Francisco 49ers spoke with during the NFL Combine.

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49ers' formal interviews during the 2024 NFL Combine

Cornerback

• Auburn CB D.J. James – A transfer from Oregon, James had three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, and 18 pass breakups in his two seasons with Auburn. Per Justin Melo, James had a formal interview with the 49ers on Tuesday.
• Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw – Tabbed by A to Z Sports' Destin Adams as the 49ers' first-round selection in his pre-Combine mock, Rakestraw is scheduled to hold a formal meeting with San Francisco, per Brad Graham. Rakestraw is a scheme versatile corner who plays with excellent awareness in zone and brings a physicality the Niners will love.
• Kentucky CB Andru Phillips – A slot corner who caught the eye at the Senior Bowl, Phillips has met with every team but the 49ers, per Adam Luckett of Kentucky Sports Radio, were one of the teams with which he has had a formal meeting.
• Mississippi State CB Decamerion Richardson – Blessed with an intriguing combination of size and speed, the former track athlete had a formal interview with the 49ers, per Brad Graham. He had seven pass breakups in 2023.
• Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry – One of the stingiest corners in college football over the course of his career, McKinstry is firmly in the first-round mix and had a formal interview with the 49ers, per Brad Graham. It has since been confirmed that McKinstry's medical check revealed a Jones fracture in his right foot. McKinstry is expected to test at his pro day.

EDGE

• Kansas EDGE Austin Booker – Booker is a prospect on the rise, and clearly has the interest of the Niners, who held a formal interview with the former Jayhawk, per Tom Downey. After two disappointing seasons with Minnesota, Booker made the most of his one year with Kansas, recording 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

Defensive Tackle

• LSU DT Mason Smith – Smith had a formal interview with the 49ers, per Brad Graham. Significant injuries in 2021 (shoulder) and 2022 (torn ACL) limited Smith's experience in college, but he is an intriguing physical specimen who was 17th on Bruce Feldman's 'Freaks list' going into the 2023 season, which he finished with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
• Texans A&M DT McKinnley Jackson – The 49ers, per Brad Graham, had a formal interview with Jackson, who was a two-time captain for the Aggies but was also suspended for two games by the team after being arrested on two drug charges in 2021. The last two seasons saw Jackson consistently make plays in the backfield as he tallied 12 tackles for loss over the course of the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. He had five sacks in that period.

Tight End

• Florida State TE Jaheim Bell – General manager John Lynch indicated the 49ers could look at the tight end position again after drafting two last year. Bell, per Brad Graham, clearly did enough to create enough interest for a formal meeting. The South Carolina transfer had 503 yards and two touchdowns last season in his only campaign for the Seminoles, which saw him average 12.9 yards per catch.

Safety

• Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha – Mustapha, per Chase Senior, got to meet with the team he supports. Mustapha had 80 tackles last season and racked up 13 tackles for loss over his final two campaigns with the Demon Deacons.

Wide Receiver

• LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. – A surprising interview for the 49ers, reported by Rohan Chakravarthi of Niners Nation, Thomas is in the first-round conversation despite playing second fiddle to teammate Malik Nabers. Thomas exploded for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023.
• USC WR Brenden Rice – The son of the greatest receiver of all time, Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, Rice confirmed the 49ers are at least doing their due diligence and looking into whether it would be worth allowing him to follow in his father's footsteps. Rice had 791 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season with the Trojans.
• Texas WR Xavier Worthy – Worthy met formally with the 49ers, per Brad Graham, and there is clear reason for San Francisco to have interest in a true home-run hitter who can also do damage with the ball in his hands after the catch. The Niners could greatly benefit from an infusion of speed at recevier, and Worthy would provide that.
• South Carolina WR Xavier Legette – The 49ers have obviously had a great deal of success with one receiver they drafted out of South Carolina, and Legette he has been receiving advice through the process from Deebo Samuel. Legette is markedly similar to his fellow former Gamecock and would appear to have a chance of being his teammate after a formal meeting with San Francisco, per Brad Graham.
• Washington WR Jalen McMillan – One member of a talented triumvirate of Washington receivers in the draft, McMillan had a formal interview with the 49ers, per Brad Graham, with San Francisco's interest clearly piqued by the skill set of a wideout who scored 15 touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Huskies.

Offensive Tackle

• Georgia OT Amarius Mims – Mims confirmed he had a formal meeting with San Francisco. He is an outstanding pass protector who has tremendous upside at right tackle. However, with only eight college starts to his name following a 2023 season in which he struggled with ankle injuries, it is a huge week for Mims to prove he is ready to step in and become an immediate starter at the NFL level despite his inexperience.
• Houston OT Patrick Paul – Paul also had a formal meeting with the Niners, per Chase Senior. Paul has been a mainstay on the O-Line for the Cougars over the last two seasons, working in an offense based around a zone-running game. However, he would have to flip from left tackle to right were he to be picked by San Francisco.
• BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia – A very natural fit for the 49ers' offense coming from the BYU system, San Francisco, per Brad Graham, had a formal meeting with a prospect who would thrive in their run game but has shown some inconsistencies as a pass protector.
• Arizona OT Jordan Morgan – A three-year starter in a zone-blocking based ground attack, it's no surprise the 49ers had a formal meeting with Morgan, per Brad Graham, a prospect who, like Suamataia, could be available to them without a trade up.
• Duke OT/G Graham Barton – Barton is seen as a guard by many and has been tabbed as a first-round selection for the Niners at 31st overall. San Francisco has a big issue at the right guard spot and talk of Barton filling that hole will not slow down after the Niners met formally with him in Indianapolis, per Chase Senior.

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49ers' informal interviews and meetings during the 2024 NFL Combine

EDGE

• Missouri EDGE Darius Robinson – A versatile pass rusher who played a variety of roles in college, Robinson has drawn comparisons to 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead and could easily play inside or on the edge at the next level. A superb run defender who is explosive, powerful and boasts active and violent hands as a pass rusher, Robinson would tick all the boxes for a 49ers team that struggled down the stretch against the run and got little from Chase Young after his midseason trade. Brad Graham reported Robinson has met with the 49ers.
• Troy EDGE Javon Solomon – Solomon, per Brad Graham, had an informal meeting with the 49ers. He had 33 sacks in his career in the Sun Belt, including 16 in his final season in college. That was his second double-digit sack campaign after he tallied 11 in 2021. Solomon also had 17 tackles for loss in 2021, a tally he topped in his final season with 18 in 2023.
• UCLA EDGE Gabriel Murphy – Having met with the 49ers at the Shrine Bowl, Murphy had an informal meeting with San Francisco at the Combine, per Brad Graham. Murphy had 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

Defensive End

• Utah DE Jonah Elliss – Per Chase Senior, the 49ers met with Elliss, who exploded in his final season for Utah, racking up 16 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

Linebacker 

• North Carolina LB Cedric Gray – The 49ers could potentially be in the market for a linebacker after Dre Greenlaw's Achilles injury and, per Tar Heels Wire, met with Gray, who was a production monster over his final three years with UNC. From 2021 to 2023, Gray racked up 29 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups and five forced fumbles. Those are the kind of numbers that will get you plenty of attention.

Tight End

• TCU TE Jared Wiley – The 49ers met with Wiley, per MJ Hurley. A massive target at 6ft 7in and 255 pounds, Wiley had eight touchdowns in his final season with the Horned Frogs.

Safety

• USC S Calen Bullock – The 49ers already have one starting safety who played at USC in 2022 All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga. Bullock, per Chase Senior, has attracted their interest this year. Bullock is a playmaker who racked up nine interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, and 15 pass breakups in his college career.
• Utah S Sione Vaki – Vaki, per Chase Senior, had a "great meeting" with the Niners. Vaki was a playmaker in the backfield for the Utes in 2023, registering 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Running Back

• Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen – The 49ers have a hard time giving anyone carries beyond Christian McCaffrey, but you honestly didn't believe a Kyle Shanahan team wasn't going to do homework on running backs? Allen, Wisconsin's talisman for the last three seasons, met informally with San Francisco, per Rohan Chakravarthi.
• Louisville RB Isaac Guerendo – Guerendo had over 1,000 yards scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in his final year with the Cardinal, production that helped him get an informal interview with the Niners, per Rohan Chakravarthi.
• Louisville RB Jawhar Jordan – Jordan and Guerendo were an impressive one-two punch for Louisville. Jordan had 1,374 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns in 2023 and also met with the Niners, Rohan Chakravarthi reported.
• Georgia RB Daijun Edwards – Edwards is coming off an excellent final season for the Bulldogs, in which he racked up 880 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He was another back Rohan Chakravarthi reported as meeting informally with the Niners.
• Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr. – It would be one of the stories of the draft if Gore landed with the team for whom his father made his name during a legendary career. Per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, the 49ers met with Gore. The Niners usually look to carry four backs and there is an opening on the depth chart. Could the stars be aligning?

Quarterback

• Tulane QB Michael Pratt – The 49ers don't have any backups to Brock Purdy under contract for 2024. Having seen Purdy's experience in college translate to success in the pros, Pratt would make a great deal of sense for San Francisco. He played 46 games for the Green Wave, helping them to a 23-5 record over the last two season, including a Cotton Bowl win over USC. Rohan Chakravarthi reported the 49ers met informally with Pratt.

Wide Receiver

• Oregon WR Troy Franklin – Like Worthy, Franklin could provide the 49ers with the speed they are missing at receiver. He had 1,383 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season with the Ducks and had an informal meeting with the Niners, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
• Pitt WR Bub Means – Means is a big-play threat who averaged 17.2 yards per reception in his college career, which saw him play for Louisiana Tech and Pitt. He had an informal meeting with the Niners, per Rohan Chakravarthi.

Offensive Tackle

• Alabama OT JC Latham – Per Chase Senior, the 49ers had an informal meeting with Latham, one of the premier tackles in a loaded class. It might require a trade up for the 49ers to be in position to land Latham, but that would reflect the urgent nature of their problem at the right tackle spot.
• Missouri OT Javon Foster – A tackle from a zone-based run scheme who has played predominantly left tackle but has experience at right, Foster met informally with the Niners, according to Chase Senior.
• Illinois OT/G Isaiah Adams – Like Barton, Adams is a prospect who can play inside and, per Rohan Chakravarthi, met informally with the Niners in Indianapolis.
• Maryland OT Gottlieb Ayedze – Per Rohan Chakravarthi, the 49ers had an informal meeting with Ayedze, who could move to guard at the next level, where his pass protection skills would be a boost to San Francisco's much-maligned interior offensive line.

Center

• Wisconsin C Tanor Bortolini – Inexperienced at center but with plenty of strong tape in pass protection, Bortolini comes from a Wisconsin offense that implements both zone and gap scheme runs, making him an ideal developmental center for San Francisco. Bortolini met informally with the Niners, per Rohan Chakravarthi.

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We will update this post as more information comes in.

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