49ers NFL Draft history: Ranking 10 best late-round picks
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers Defensive Tackle Michael Carter
Round 5, No. 121 Overall in the 1984 NFL Draft
Some could argue the 49ers teams of the mid and late 1980s were the most dominant in franchise history. And while the Niners offense received much of the credit, one shouldn’t overlook just how good many of those defenses were.
Especially nose tackle Michael Carter, who received a Super Bowl ring his rookie year after being drafted by San Francisco in Round 5 of the 1984 draft out of SMU.
The shot-put Olympian proved to be a star at the NFL level, too, becoming a first-time Pro Bowler a year after he was drafted after recording a career-high seven sacks. Those efforts continued throughout the rest of the decade, too, where Carter would make two more Pro Bowls while also being named a 1987 first-team All-Pro.
In total, Carter would finish his nine-year career, all with the 49ers, with 121 games played including 77 where he started.
Carter shouldn’t just be considered one of the Niners’ best late-round draft picks of all time but also one of the best defensive picks the team has ever made.