The franchise began as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946, and when the leagues merged in 1949, they became part of the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers are the NFL’s 10th oldest franchise and the city’s first major league professional sports franchise.

Defensive Players Of All-Time

Let’s take a look at the first five outstanding 49ers Defensive players Of all time.

Ronnie Lott

The San Francisco 49ers selected Lott eighth overall in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound standout’s talent was immediately noticed, and he was named the 49ers’ starting left cornerback from the start of training camp.

He has seven interceptions, helping the 49ers win Super Bowl XVI, and became only the second rookie in NFL history to return three interceptions for touchdowns in his rookie season in 1981.

Patrick Willis

Willis, who was projected to be a late-first to early-second round draft pick, enhanced his draft status with a strong showing at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.56 40-yard sprint, one of the quickest among linebackers.

Bryant Young

Bryant Colby Young is a former defensive tackle for the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers. Young, a first-round pick out of Notre Dame, has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2019 class.

Charles Haley

He is the first player to win five Super Bowls; only Tom Brady has won more, with seven trophies. With the 49ers, he was a two-time Super Bowl champion.

Nick Bosa

Bosa signed a four-year, $33.5 million contract with the 49ers on July 25, 2019, that included a $22.5 million signing bonus and a fifth-year alternative.

His statistical record of total tackles amounts to 105.