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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22 Sep 1996: Defensive lineman Bryant Young of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during a game against the Carolina Panthers at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers won the game, 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
22 Sep 1996: Defensive lineman Bryant Young of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during a game against the Carolina Panthers at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers won the game, 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport /

No. 9: Defensive Linemen Bryant Young and Roy Barker

While not receiving as many accolades as the defenses of the 1980s or even the early 2010s, the 49ers defense during the 1990s were awfully good, finishing in the top 10 in all but two seasons during the decade.

One key piece, defensive tackle Bryant Young, requires little introduction to Niners fans. He was a stalwart and standout member of the team for 14 years, which included four trips to the Pro Bowl and one first-team All-Pro selection.

And he still remains the franchise leader in sacks with 89.5.

Young had some solid linemates around him during that stretch. But one of the more impactful ones was defensive end Roy Barker, who spent just three years in San Francisco (1996 through 1998) before moving on. Yet both he and Bryant combined to make one of the more formidable pass-rushing tandems in the league.

During that three-year stretch, Bryant and Barker combined for an astounding 55 sacks. And in 1997, Barker led the league with eight forced fumbles.

For opposing offenses playing the 49ers during that span, coming up with a game plan to negate both Bryant and Barker was an absolute necessity.