San Francisco 49ers: How Valuable Are Their Linebackers?

July 2, 2013   ·   Baily Deeter   ·   Jump to comments

The San Francisco 49ers win a lot of games because of their defense, and their defense is led by some incredible linebackers.
Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks helped lead the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII last season. All four lit up the stat sheet, as Smith and Brooks combined for 26 sacks and Willis and Bowman combined for 268 tackles.
There's no doubt that San Francisco's linebackers have put up eye-popping numbers so far, and there's no doubt that the young group will continue to pile up numerous accolades. But how valuable is the group?
 
Middle linebackers breakdown
Bowman and Willis make up the league's best duo of middle linebackers, as both rarely miss tackles. Bowman finished tied for second in the NFL in tackles in 2012, and only 11 players posted more total tackles than Willis. Both did a great job stopping the run, and both did a nice job against the pass.
The two combined for 15 passes defensed and three intercept...

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