Roger Craig has a prediction. The former San Francisco running back is all-in. He is a believer again. The 49ers franchise he helped win three Super Bowls in the 1980s is back. It will become the next dynasty, this decade's version of the New England Patriots.

In Jim Harbaugh, Craig trusts.

"I'm going on the record saying the 49ers win two Super Bowls in the next eight years," Craig said last week. "They'll be the winningest team in the next decade."

Wow. That's confidence.

For the past several weeks, ESPN.com has been unveiling its list of the 20 greatest NFL coaches of all time. No. 2 on that list is the man for whom Craig played most of his career, the incomparable Bill Walsh. Walsh built his own dynasty in San Francisco a lifetime ago. He was an innovator who left a lasting impression on the game. The principles of Walsh's West Coast offense are still used today, and his coaching tree has deep roots and many branches.

Walsh set the standard that Harbaugh must follow, and in two short years, Harbaugh is well on his way. Craig believes there is much more to come.

Craig saw it during the Niners' third preseason game under Harbaugh in 2011. Houston drubbed San Francisco 30-7, and it was the second time in the preseason that Harbaugh's team had failed to score more than seven points. But Craig didn't look at the final outcome. He watched the three series that the Niners' starters played. He was blown away by how hard they played, how organized they were, how sharp they were on both offense and defense.

"I saw that our team dominated the first three series," Craig said. "I saw organization. I saw urgency. I was like, 'Wow.' I made this [Super Bowl] prediction on the same day. I saw those first three series, and that's all I needed to see."