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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29 Jan 1995: Linebacker Ken Norton #51 and defensive back Merton Hanks of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. The 49ers won the game, 49-26. Mandatory Credit: Ri
29 Jan 1995: Linebacker Ken Norton #51 and defensive back Merton Hanks of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. The 49ers won the game, 49-26. Mandatory Credit: Ri /

No. 5: Linebackers Ken Norton Jr. and Lee Woodall

The 49ers were all in during the 1994 season, especially after falling behind the Dallas Cowboys in previous years.

And one of those moves was to purge the Cowboys, grabbing one of their top linebackers, Ken Norton Jr., in free agency.

The move worked, as Norton would be an integral piece in the Niners winning Super Bowl XXIX. The following year, Norton would secure both Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors, even returning two interceptions for touchdowns that year.

Quite the feat.

But Woodall, whom San Francisco drafted in Round 6 the same year Norton came aboard in free agency, was arguably just as important, even if he received less recognition than his teammate.

Woodall immediately secured the starting job on the outside his rookie season — a spot he would never give up during his six-year career with the 49ers. And during that span, he managed two Pro Bowl nods of his own, serving as a solid coverage backer in a day when those roles were nowhere near as defined as they are now.

Together, both Norton and Woodall would end up being one of the best linebacking tandems in franchise history.

Not the best one, though.