
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman was voted the 61st best player in the NFL Network's Top 100 after a successful return to the 49ers this past season.
Featured speaker and former 49ers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois encapsulated the player Bowman is, as well as his NFL career to date.
"A guy that came in (to the league) and they said he was short. But as I could see at linebacker, height don't really mean nothing. It's all about the heart and relentlessness.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"He's a...he's gonna be a Hall of Famer," Jean-Francois told NFL Network.
[MAIOCCO: O'Neil: Ward one of 49ers' top 11 defensive players]
Bowman in 2015 was coming off a significant knee injury suffered in the 2013 NFC Championship against the Seattle Seahawks.
The multi-ligament tear caused him to miss the entire 2014 campaign.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Jean-Francois, who played with Bowman in San Francisco from 2010-2012, continued: "He's a linebacker that every D-lineman should wish to have.
"NaVorro can be anywhere. You can put him out there on the slot receiver. You can put him on the fast receiver," he added. "This guy can run toe-to-toe with you. Then make a play from sideline to sideline."
Bowman last season had 154 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. He was named a first-team All-Pro for a fourth time, continuing his streak since becoming a starter in 2011.
"To have a linebacker like him, I know had to be hard for offensive coordinators because they can't game plan, like 'we're going to take this person out.' NaVorro can be anywhere.
"He's got to be one of the top linebackers in the NFL."