SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers selected defensive lineman Quinton Dial out of Alabama with their fifth-round selection in the NFL draft Saturday, further strengthening an area in which the team lost two of its top players during free agency.
The 49ers also used a second-round selection Friday to draft Florida State’s Tank Carradine to fortify the team’s defensive front wall. Carradine is expected to play at end in San Francisco’s 3-4 defensive alignment while Dial is projected to play inside at nose tackle in the line rotation.
The 49ers lost starting nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency and Rickey Jean Francois, the top reserve in their line rotation for several seasons, signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
Dial will get an opportunity to work into the mix and fill those voids.
