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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SAN FRANCISCO – OCTOBER 21: Bubby Brister #6 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks down field for a receiver while under presure from San Francisco 49ers defensive end Charles Haley #94 and Kevin Fagan #75 during the game at Candlestick Park on October 21, 1990 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 27-7. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – OCTOBER 21: Bubby Brister #6 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks down field for a receiver while under presure from San Francisco 49ers defensive end Charles Haley #94 and Kevin Fagan #75 during the game at Candlestick Park on October 21, 1990 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 27-7. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Outside Linebacker Charles Haley and Defensive End Pierce Holt

EDGE Charles Haley is a Hall of Famer for a number of reasons, which unfortunately include his notable efforts with the Dallas Cowboys after the 49ers grew tired of him following his All-Pro 1991 campaign.

Still, Haley cut his teeth in San Francisco, going on to record 66.5 sacks during his team tenure, which still ranks second in franchise history despite him playing only eight seasons with the red and gold.

One of the big reasons why Haley was so effective, however, was due to the efforts of his defensive line mate, Pierce Holt.

Holt certainly didn’t receive the accolades Haley did, but he was instrumental in locking up opposing blockers on the left side of the defense, freeing up Haley to stack up the sack count during the late 1980s and early 1990s — a period where the 49ers defense was among the best in the league.

Not to be totally outdone, however, Holt managed 10.5 sacks of his own in 1989. When paired with Haley’s 10.5 that year, too, one can see just how potent San Francisco’s pass rush was during this era.

The hope was Holt would go on to achieve just as much success once Haley was out of the picture. Holt did, to a certain extent, reaching the Pro Bowl his first and only time in 1992. The following year, however, Holt was off to the Atlanta Falcons, forcing the Niners to rethink their defense.

While impressive, this tandem isn’t the greatest pass-rushing duo in 49ers history. The next two are.