What do safeties Emlen Tunnell (New York Giants), Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh Steelers), Ken Houston (Houston Oilers), and Ed Reed (Baltimore Ravens) have in common? According to NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt, they were all better than legendary San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott.
Lott played for the 49ers from 1981 until 1990 and was a four-time Super Bowl champion during that time. He is just one of five players who were on all of the 49ers' first four Super Bowl teams (Joe Montana, Keena Turner, Eric Wright, and Mike Wilson are the others).
Lott went on to finish his career with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets. He was voted to 10 Pro Bowls and was a six-time First-team All-Pro. Over his career, the hard-hitting safety compiled 1,146 tackles, 63 interceptions, 8.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, and had five defensive touchdowns during regular season play. In 20 career postseason games, Lott recorded nine interceptions, 89 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two touchdowns.
Lott was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, which was also his first year of eligibility.
The list by Brandt also includes current 49ers general manager John Lynch, who sits at number 17 within the ranking. Brandt has previously worked as an NFL scout for the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. He was also a longtime executive with the Dallas Cowboys.
49ers add 'arguably the draft's best zone cover cornerback' in PFF mock
By David Bonilla
Apr 3
John Kosko of Pro Football Focus (PFF) released his latest mock draft, projecting the San Francisco 49ers to pass on bolstering the trenches in the first round. Instead, he has them selecting Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the 11th overall pick.
Deommodore Lenoir and...
Kyle Shanahan hopeful Brock Purdy won't miss time amid 49ers contract talks
By David Bonilla
Apr 1
The San Francisco 49ers are working to finalize a contract extension with quarterback Brock Purdy, aiming to get a deal done sooner rather than later. However, if negotiations stall, they could stretch into the offseason program, raising the question: Would Purdy hold...
49ers Named As Potential Trade Destination for All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson
By Don Atkinson
5 hrs
As higher-profile contract talks continue between the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy, the team is still putting in plenty of time looking at ways to upgrade their defensive line, which (like the rest of the 49ers' defensive unit) struggled mightily in...
49ers surpass Ravens for rushing records after NFL incorporates AAFC stats
By David Bonilla
16 hrs
The 2019 Baltimore Ravens rushed for an impressive 3,296 yards during the regular season, setting what was then the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single season—until now.
This week, the NFL announced it would begin incorporating statistics from the All-America...