San Francisco 49ers all-time Mount Rushmore

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 20: Former San Francisco 49ers player Jerry Rice is seen during a ceremony honoring the 1981-82 team at halftime of the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi's Stadium on December 20, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JANUARY 20: Safety Ronnie Lott #42 of the San Francisco 49ers on the sideline against the New York Giants in the 1990 NFC Championship Game on January 20, 1991, at 3Com Park in San Francisco, California. The Giants defeated the 49ers 15-13. (Photo by Dan Honda via Getty Images) /

San Francisco 49ers Mount Rushmore: DB Ronnie Lott (1982-1990)

The only defender to make the 49ers’ Mount Rushmore, Ronnie Lott was one of the best defensive backs the NFL has ever seen. San Francisco took Lott in the first round of the 1982 draft out of nearby USC, a pick that paid immediate dividends.

Lott was a starter at cornerback and made an instant impact, recording seven interceptions and returning three for touchdowns. San Francisco won the Super Bowl that year and Lott finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings behind another future Hall-of-Famer in Lawrence Taylor.

Lott made the switch to safety in 1985 and continued to dominate there, playing a key role on all four 49ers’ Super Bowl champions of the 1980s. 1986 was a particularly brilliant year for Lott, who led the league with a career-high 10 interceptions, adding 77 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks for good measure.

The 49ers let Lott go in free agency after the 1990 season, but his impact on football was already well-established. Lott was eventually named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 80s, was a 10-time Pro Bowler, and had his number retired by the 49ers as well.