Rookie LBs Aaron Lynch and Chris Borland Saving 49ers Defense

Yes, rookie linebackers Aaron Lynch and Chris Borland are saving San Francisco's defense in 2014.

This is with all due respect to players like Patrick Willis, Antoine Bethea, Perrish Cox and Justin Smith. There are plenty of other names out there who should receive credit as well.

But can you imagine the feeling in your gut if this author was to travel back in time and tell you that the 49ers would be without Willis and Aldon Smith for an extensive portion of the 2014 season? What if you knew this, understanding that the 49ers would also be without NaVorro Bowman over the first half of the year?

San Francisco's linebacker corps has long since been the heart of its defense. This is a unit that has been tested unlike any other group over the course of 2014.

Exactly how this unit has answered is reflected by Lynch and Borland.

Lynch has been the more productive of the two rookies. The fifth-round pick got his chance when second-year pro Corey Lemonier struggled in pass-rushing duties in Smith's absence. Prior to Oct. 20, Lynch was ranked 10th in pass-rush productivity, according to Pro Football Focus (h/t @49ers_Stats).

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With 15 pressures, including 1 sack, in 119 snaps, Aaron Lynch is ranked tenth in pass rush productivity among 3-4 OLBs, according to @PFF.

— #49ers Stats (@49ers_Stats) October 20, 2014"

Lynch might not be getting the sack totals that Smith would have had on the season had the suspension not taken place. Up to this point, the rookie has just two on the year. But pressure has been the name of the game.

So has passes swatted down at the line. Lynch has three of these on the year.

Lynch's pressure has been part of the reason why San Francisco's defense ranks No. 5 in the league in fewest passing yards per game (215.2). The ability to rush opposing quarterbacks, forcing them to throw the ball a second or two earlier, has been paramount to the 49ers' defensive efforts.

For this, Lynch deserves all the credit.

Even more enticing is the thought as to how good San Francisco's defense could be once Smith returns from his nine-game suspension. This San Francisco pass rush will be that much stronger as a result.

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Borland is a little newer to the equation.

His status would likely not have been realized had it not been for the turf-toe injury suffered by Patrick Willis in Week 6 at St. Louis. Before that point, the former Wisconsin All-American was little more than a special teams contributor.

Borland notched his first-career NFL sack against Peyton Manning in the embarrassing 42-17 Week 7 loss to the Denver Broncos. Manning essentially gave up on the play, suggesting that Borland would never get an easier chance in his career.

But let's take a look at the numbers Borland has put up since that point.

Against St. Louis in Week 9, Borland notched 18 combined tackles per Pro-Football-Reference. But according to Taylor Price of 49ers.com, Niner coaches counted Borland making 22 total tackles, a number that would have been the most since Willis recorded 22 tackles versus the Atlanta Falcons in 2013.

Simply stated, Borland is emerging as a tackling machine.

His one gaffe in Week 9 was a mistake in coverage, which allowed a Kenny Britt touchdown. Coverage mistakes are common for rookies, so we shouldn't exactly call out Borland on this particular error. Rather, it was the 49ers offense that blew it in that particular contest.

If there were any doubts, Borland more than backed up his Week 9 tackling performance with an equally impressive showing in what many considered a must-win game against the Saints in Week 10.

Borland finished this contest with a team-high 17 tackles, two of which were for a loss. More importantly, Borland was able to hop on the Ahmad Brooks-forced fumble in overtime, which set up San Francisco's game-winning field goal.

There is no doubt that the 49ers would be better off with Willis back on the field. But San Francisco's defense is getting stellar play out of Borland. The same could be said of Aldon Smith. But Lynch is making his presence felt at the NFL level.

This author does need to give credit to safety Antoine Bethea, who is having a Pro Bowl season through 10 weeks. But the efforts up front have led to what Bethea and Co. have done in the secondary. And all this has happened despite prolonged absences of Bowman, Smith and Willis.

San Francisco's defense will only get stronger when the veterans return to action. But it will at least be difficult to sit these young, up-and-coming stars, given how well they have played this season.

This is a good problem for the 49ers to have. The theory of "the next man up" is proving itself in San Francisco.

And the 49ers are benefiting from the lofty results.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers' news, insight and analysis.

Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.