San Francisco 49ers' Top 5 Locker Room Leaders After Offseason Tumult

This offseason the San Francisco 49ers lost their top three leaders in the locker room—Justin Smith, Patrick Willis and Frank Gore. Smith and Willis retired, and Gore signed with the Indianapolis Colts.

From 2008 to 2014, when you thought of the Niners you probably thought of those three players. They created a professional, hard-working, blue-collar culture in the locker room, and they had the respect of the rest of the team and the rest of the league.

Now they’re gone. Do the Niners have players who can fill the voids?

You be the judge. In ascending order, here are the top five leaders left on the 49ers.

5. SS Antoine Bethea, 10th Season

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Strong safety Antoine Bethea was the only player on the Niners defense who made the Pro Bowl last season.

His best game was Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was close to a must-win game for the Niners whose record was 1-2 at the time. They needed someone to step up.

Bethea stepped up, even though the game was only his fourth with the team. He made eight tackles and one interception and won the NFC Player of the Week award. He established himself as a leader for the Niners in that game.

Bethea, 31, is one of the most respected players in the locker room, but he’s only been on the team for one season. He probably would defer to certain veterans out of respect.

4. FS Eric Reid, Third Season

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One of the players Antoine Bethea might defer to next season is third-year safety Eric Reid, even though Reid is only 23.

Reid may establish himself as the best defensive player on the Niners next season—the player they build their defense around for the next six or seven seasons.

Reid needs to take ownership of the Niners secondary eventually, and next season may be the season he takes over. He’s in terrific shape, and he seems supremely confident, like he knows he’s the best player on the defense.

And his teammates treat him with deference and respect. Reid seems to have far more gravitas than the other young players in the locker room.

3. WR Anquan Boldin, 13th Season

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Bethea and Reid are Pro Bowl players; Anquan Boldin probably is a future Hall of Famer.

Boldin, 34, is the oldest starter on the 49ers offense, and he’s still a go-to guy—the player opposing defenses must account for, especially on third down.

Boldin established himself as a leader almost immediately when the Niners signed him in 2013. He worked as hard as anyone during training camp and then made 13 catches for 208 yards Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. He helped carry the team to the NFC Championship that season.

But Boldin will be a free agent in 2016. So although he’s one of the most respected players on the team, he may not have the longevity to be one of the top two leaders next season. Boldin isn’t as invested in the Niners’ future as the next two players.

2. LT Joe Staley, Ninth Season

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Joe Staley is the best player on the 49ers offense, and he’s signed through 2019 according to Spotrac.

Staley may not be the face of the franchise—offensive linemen rarely are—but he probably is the voice of the locker room. After every single game he sits at his locker and speaks for himself and the team—even after losses. Even after he had a bad game.

Staley is the constant on a team where everything else is in flux. He’s been on the Niners since they drafted him in 2007, he protects quarterback Colin Kaepernick's blindside and he’s the best run-blocker on what has been one of the most successful rushing attacks in the NFL the past few seasons.

The Niners have hope as long as they have Staley.

1. ILB NaVorro Bowman, Sixth Season

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Even though NaVorro Bowman didn’t play last season, he probably is the most respected player in the locker room.

He was the only player on the team who was a first-team All Pro three seasons in a row from 2011 to 2013. He had one of the best three-season runs of any linebacker ever, and it coincided with three straight trips to the NFC Championship game. Hardly a coincidence.

In the third NFC Championship game Bowman tore his ACL and MCL. Even if he can’t regain the level of excellence he had before the injury next season, he still will have the most clout in the locker room. Players respect what he did earlier in his career and what he’s attempting to come back from.

All quotations, practice observations and locker-room observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow @grantcohn.