Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Top 10 defensive pairings of all time

By Peter Panacy

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: #89 Marcedes Lewis of the Jacksonville Jaguars is tackled by #52 Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers during the NFL International Series game between San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on October 27, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: #89 Marcedes Lewis of the Jacksonville Jaguars is tackled by #52 Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers during the NFL International Series game between San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on October 27, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images) /
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Ricky Sanders #83, Wide Receiver for the Washington Redskins jumps to make a running catch against Don Griffin #29 and #42 Ronnie Lott of the San Francisco 49ers during the National Football Conference West game against the San Francisco 49ers on 16 September 1990 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 26 – 13. (Photo by Otto Greule JrAllsport/Getty Images)
Ricky Sanders #83, Wide Receiver for the Washington Redskins jumps to make a running catch against Don Griffin #29 and #42 Ronnie Lott of the San Francisco 49ers during the National Football Conference West game against the San Francisco 49ers on 16 September 1990 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 26 – 13. (Photo by Otto Greule JrAllsport/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Defensive Backs Ronnie Lott and Don Griffin

While he might be remembered for being one of the hardest-hitting safeties to ever play in the NFL, Ronnie Lott actually got his start in the league as a cornerback.

And a pretty good one, too, appearing in four straight Pro Bowls as a boundary corner to start his career.

Like many of the defenders on this list, Lott’s accolades need little introduction. As both a cornerback and safety, Lott managed a franchise-high 51 interceptions, and his nine Pro Bowl nods during his San Francisco tenure all but ensured enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Yet one of the reasons why Lott was able to move to safety was due to the emergence of cornerback Don Griffin, whom the Niners grabbed in Round 6 of the 1986 NFL Draft. His rookie year, Griffin managed three interceptions and would eventually go on to record 25 during his career with the 49ers.

As a duo, Griffin would supply fabulous coverage abilities, while Lott would deliver bone-crushing hits to anyone who managed to evade Griffin’s defense.

No wonder the Niners defenses of the late 1980s were elite. Both Lott and Griffin had a lot (pun intended) to say about that.