Ranking the 3 greatest wide receivers in San Francisco 49ers history
A great deal of talented wide receivers have played for the San Francisco 49ers over the years. Gene Washington, John Taylor and Freddie Solomon are all prime examples.
San Francisco is well-known for their Hall of Fame quarterbacks, such as Joe Montana, Steve Young and Y.A. Tittle. Yet, you can’t leave out the big-time wideouts who once called San Francisco home.
Who are the San Francisco 49ers' 3 greatest wide receivers of all time?
#1 - Jerry Rice
NFL history is full of elite wide receivers like Randy Moss, Calvin “Megatron” Johnson and Marvin Harrison. However, Jerry Lee Rice is the G.O.A.T., and it’s not even close.
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Back in 1985, San Francisco moved up from 28th overall to the 16th pick to draft Rice. And that would wind up becoming one of the smartest decisions the franchise has ever made.
As a Niner, Rice won three Super Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice. He also led the league in receiving yards six times. He has so many accomplishments that it would pretty much take a lifetime to mention all of them.
#2 - Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens had stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. But before that, he spent the first eight years of his career making entertaining plays in San Francisco.
A third-round pick out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Owens went on to become one of the biggest steals of the 1996 NFL Draft.
The outspoken Alabama native recorded over 1,000 receiving yards five times and made the Pro Bowl four times during his time in the Bay Area.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
#3 - Dwight Clark
Surely, many fans would prefer to see Gene Washington here at the No. 3 spot. But, you can’t please everybody, right?
Dwight Clark is known for “The Catch,” which is easily one of the most iconic plays in sports history. Clark caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by Joe Montana during the 1981 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys.
: NFL 100 Greatest Plays on @NFLNetwork
No. 2: “The Catch” @JoeMontana to Dwight Clark in the NFC Championship (Jan. 10, 1982) @49ers #NFL100
📺: NFL 100 Greatest Plays on @NFLNetwork https://t.co/iGQ7bLH3bD
Drafted by San Francisco in the 10th round (249th overall pick) of the 1979 NFL Draft, Clark spent his entire nine-year career with just one team. The two-time Pro Bowler posted a career-high 1,105 receiving yards in 1981. He currently ranks third all-time in franchise history with 6,750 receiving yards.