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San Francisco 49ers: 10 most underrated players in franchise history

By Peter Panacy

January 14, 1990: Wide receiver John Taylor of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball during a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game, 30-3. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule /Allsport
January 14, 1990: Wide receiver John Taylor of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball during a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game, 30-3. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule /Allsport /
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49ers defensive end Bryant Young (Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary)
49ers defensive end Bryant Young (Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary) /

Bryant Young. 9. player. 42. . Defensive Tackle. 49ers Tenure: 1994-2007

Speaking of Bryant Young, he also cracks our list of top underrated players in franchise history.

Name-wise, Young certainly has a spot in 49ers fans’ hearts. After all, he spent his entire 14-year career in San Francisco, earning four Pro Bowl nods and one first-team All-Pro selection. An immediate starter as a rookie back in 1994, B.Y. would miss just 16 regular-season games over his remarkable career.

But in the annals of football lore, Young rarely gets the recognition deserved. If anything, even Niners fans think the best 49ers pass-rusher of all time would be the Hall of Famer, Charles Haley.

Yet Haley’s sack totals reached 66.5 with the red and gold. In contrast, Young owns the franchise record in this category with 89.5, which ranks 45th on the NFL’s all-time list as well.

Young may not get the recognition at the national level, which is why he’s on this list.

He’ll never be underrated in the minds of Niners fans everywhere, though.