The 49ers in the middle rounds of the NFL draft selected college teammates C.J. Beathard and George Kittle, Iowa’s top quarterback and tight end combination over the last two seasons.

The two are good friends and former roommates. Kittle said the 49ers hinted they would draft both players when he met with the team leading up to the draft.

Kittle had high praise for Beathard, his quarterback, who went earlier than expected with more notable quarterbacks on the board.

“I was blessed to be with C.J. since freshman year and he’s just a guy that, he loves football more than anything, other than maybe his daughter,” Kittle said.

“But, he lives and breathes it. It’s all he cares about. And he is a genius in the film room and on the football field. He knows absolutely everything that everybody’s gonna do. And I think my favorite thing about C.J. is just how much his love and emotion brings everyone else around. He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. I mean, he was a leader when we stepped on campus our freshman year.”

The 49ers tapped Beathard late in the third round on Friday and Kittles with a fifth-round pick. Their chemistry should help as they work as reserves earlier in their careers with San Francisco.