10 greatest San Francisco 49ers of all time

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana (16) of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the 49ers 36-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the 1987 NFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 9, 1988 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Arthur Anderson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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17 Dec 2000: Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers waves to the crowd after the Chicago Bears game at 3Comm Park in San Francisco, California. San Francisco won 17-0. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/ALLSPORT /

2. WR Jerry Rice

The 16th overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft from Mississippi Valley State had a few less-than-memorable moments very early in his career. But it didn’t take a long for the hard-working professional to establish himself as one of the greatest performers regardless of position in the history of the game.

No player has caught more passes (1,549) for more yards (22,895) and more scores (197) than Jerry Rice, who also owns the record for most total touchdowns (208) and yards from scrimmage (23,540). When it comes to the postseason, there are NFL highs in catches (151), receiving yards (2,245) and TDs (22).

Rice did the vast majority of that while in the employ of the San Francisco 49ers from 1985-2000, where he was part of three NFL title teams and was the MVP in Super Bowl XXIII (via Larry Schwartz of ESPN.com). His career ended with stints with the Raiders and Seahawks.

The numbers with the Niners alone have him at 1,281 receptions for 19,247 yards and 176 TD receptions. In three Super Bowls with the franchise, he totaled 28 catches for 512 yards and seven scores. And his greatest season may have come during the strike replacement year of 1987 (he did not cross the picket line) when he totaled 65 grabs for 1,078 yards and an astounding 22 touchdowns in 12 contests.