San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis Will Lead Legendary Defense in 2012

If you thought that San Francisco 49ers' Patrick Willis led a dominant defense in 2011, I have just one thing to say to you: You ain't seen nothing yet.

Willis and company will serve up an even greater treat in 2012, and I'm looking forward to witnessing a legendary season in the same mold as the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 1985 Chicago Bears.

One of the main reasons I'm confident in making such a declaration is that the 49ers will be in the second year of Vic Fangio's defense. They didn't even have an offseason to learn the new playbook, and Fangio called a vanilla game plan for much of the first half of the season. 

Fangio hardly ever called blitzes in 2011. He kept things simple and basic, allowing the exceedingly talented men on the 49ers defense to do their job without having to think too much.

I expect to see some wrinkles in 2012. 

Willis had some help from the secondary this past season, which was a new thing for him. The 49ers will retain both Dashon Goldson and Carlos Rogers, have no fear. Rogers was exceptional in his first year with the team, and Goldson showed he's capable of becoming a truly elite free safety.

Chris Culliver made huge strides towards becoming a starter in 2012, and he performed admirably all year and in the playoffs against some of the best receivers in the league.

I expect we've seen the last of Reggie Smith and Shawntae Spencer, and I am looking forward to landing at least one free agent and one draft pick to upgrade their spots on the roster.

The secondary should continue to improve in 2012, and I'm predicting that they will become a top-10 team in passing yards allowed. 

One of the reasons they'll continue improving is that the 49ers have another group of players that is also improving at a rapid pace: Aldon Smith has instantly made the team into one of the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL, and he didn't even play half of the time.

Smith will start in 2012, and I am predicting an 18-sack year for him. 

Justin Smith, Ray McDonald and Isaac Sopoaga will all be back in 2012, and I can't see them regressing. If anything, I expect the unit as a whole to get better, as Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh are committed to bringing in the best players possible to compete for every position.

And then there is the tandem of Willis and NaVorro Bowman. The two of them are going to redefine what people thought was possible for middle linebackers. Heck, they already are. Both of them were named to the first-team All Pro team last season.

Bowman will continue to get better. Remember, he was only in his second year in 2011, and he's only 23 years old. He flashes through the hole on running plays so well he looks just like Willis, and many times you can't tell the two apart.

Willis is starting to really come into his own, too. Willis is now 27 years old and coming into the prime of his athletic life. The next five to eight years will be his opportunity to truly cement his legacy as one of the best middle linebackers to ever have played in the NFL.

Early on in training camp after the lockout, Fangio tasked Willis with something he'd never previously set his sights upon: He had him working on the same pass-rushing drills that the defensive ends and outside linebackers were practicing in order to improve that aspect of his game.

Fangio didn't ask Willis to blitz much in 2011, but then again, he didn't blitz much at all last year. I expect him to incorporate a variety of blitzes into his game plans in 2012, and I expect Willis and Bowman to be the primary beneficiaries.

As good as the 49ers were on defense, they are just scratching the surface of what they are capable of becoming.

I expect to see Willis lead the 49ers to become one of the all-time greatest defenses in the history of the NFL over the course of the next five years or so, and 2012 will be the beginning of their legendary run.

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