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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09 Sep 2001: Dana Stubblefield #94 of the San Francisco 49ers embraces teammate Bryant Young #97 during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at 3Com Park in San Francisco , California . DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport
09 Sep 2001: Dana Stubblefield #94 of the San Francisco 49ers embraces teammate Bryant Young #97 during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at 3Com Park in San Francisco , California . DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport /

No. 7: Defensive Linemen Dana Stubblefield and Chris Doleman

It was a tough sell trying to figure out if the combination of Bryant Young and Roy Barker should make it above the placement of fellow 49ers all-time defensive linemen, Dana Stubblefield and Chris Doleman.

But what separates the two, and places the latter pairing just ahead of Young and Barker, is the fact both Stubblefield and Doleman combined for 55.5 sacks over a three-year period between 1996 and 1998, edging the Bryant-Barker combined total of 55 over a similar three-year span.

Either way, the Niners had a pretty impressive defensive line during the late 1990s. All four deserve recognition, and Stubblefield solidified his placement with three Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro nod in 1997.

And while Young is easily the better overall player, opponents going up against Stubblefield and Doleman had plenty of their own issues, too.

Doleman, whom San Francisco grabbed in 1996 following his Pro Bowl efforts with the Atlanta Falcons the previous year, had an astounding 38 sacks during his three-year stint with the 49ers.

Only a handful of Niners greats ever reached that number in such a brief time frame.