The San Francisco 49ers are putting their faith in the team’s 2017 sixth-round NFL Draft pick, nose tackle D.J. Jones, to competently hold down a starting role in 2019 and possibly beyond.
This, after the Niners elected not to pick up the team option on veteran defender Earl Mitchell, who spent two years with the organization after being signed to a free-agent deal back in 2017.
Jones took over San Francisco’s 1-technique position in a starting role over the final four games of 2018, relegating the older and more-expensive Mitchell to backup duties and eventually placement on the team’s weekly inactive list.