On NFL Thursday in this fine February, we move from South Florida to Southern California: it’s time for the Los Angeles Rams! This list isn’t as sexy as readers might think, simply because a lot of famous players didn’t spend enough time with the team to reach these heights. Although this is a franchise which has been around since 1937, so there are some names here you recognize—or need to remember, at the very least!

No. 10: Eddie Meador, CB/FS—111 AV (1959-1970)

A 6-time Pro Bowler, he was just a 7th-round draft pick in 1959. With 46 career interceptions, we’re wondering why this guy is not in the Hall of Fame … especially with peak seasons in 1967 and 1968, featuring 16 AV each time. He never topped the NFL in picks, but Meador also never went a season with an INT, either. He scored 5 touchdowns on pick sixes, as well, but he played in just 2 postseason games (1 INT).

No. 9: Torry Holt, WR—116 AV (1999-2008)

In just 10 seasons with the St. Louis Rams, he made 7 Pro Bowls, led the NFL in receiving yardage twice, and topped the league in receptions once, too. But hey, he’s not in the Hall of Fame, either, for some weird reason. Holt posted double-digit AV in 6 different seasons, 4 of those years with a myriad of mediocre quarterbacks not named Kurt Warner. He was key member of 2 Super Bowl teams, too (1999, 2001). Nice!

No. 8: Deacon Jones, DE—119 AV (1961-1971)

He made 7 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1964-1970, and with 159.5 sacks as a Ram, he is in the Hall of Fame despite only playing in the same two playoff games (1967, 1969) as Meador. Go figure. Even though sacks weren’t official then, he topped the NFL 5 times in the category. Jones also posted double-digit AV in every one of those Pro Bowl seasons noted above, but he didn’t register a sack in either postseason matchup.

No. 7: Orlando Pace, T—121 AV (1997-2008)

The No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 Draft, Pace is in the Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the team that featured 7 straight Pro Bowls from 1999-2005. Part of the Greatest Show on Turf that won the Super Bowl in 1999, he also put up 6 seasons of double-digit AV along the way. What else can we say? Injuries started to derail his career after the 2005 season, but Pace certainly made his mark for the team that drafted him.

No. 6: Tom Mack, G—123 AV (1966-1978)

The No. 2 overall pick in the 1966 Draft, he went on to make 11 Pro Bowls (1967-1975, 1977-1978) in his 13-year career, all with the Rams. He retired at the top of his game, that’s for sure: Mack posted 8 AV at age 35 in his final NFL season. He never made it to a Super Bowl, though, as the 1970s Rams had a hard time winning in the postseason—until the year after he retired, ironically, despite his 6 seasons of 10+ AV.

No. 5: Isaac Bruce, WR—127 AV (1994-2007)

After spending his first NFL season in L.A. with the Rams, he went east with them to St. Louis for another 13 seasons. He only made 4 Pro Bowls, for whatever reason, but Bruce is in the Hall of Fame after being a second-round pick in 1994. He topped the league in receiving yardage once (1996), and he also had one of the more amazing seasons in league history for a player on a losing team (1995). Look it up and marvel at it.

No. 4: Jackie Slater, CB/FS—129 AV (1976-1995)

A third rounder, he made 7 Pro Bowls overall and played on the organization’s 1979 Super Bowl team. His Hall of Fame profile is a study in consistency, rather than brilliance, as he only posted 4 seasons of double-digit AV overall in a 20-year career. But he was a part of the most consistent era of Rams football in Los Angeles, playing in 18 postseason games overall before going to St. Louis for his final NFL season.

No. 3: Jack Youngblood, DE—147 AV (1971-1984)

An iconic legend for playing through injury and pain, he made 7 straight Pro Bowls (1973-1979) after being selected 20th overall in the 1971 Draft. He compiled 151.5 sacks in his career with the team, and he led the NFL in sacks twice (1974, 1979). He put up 13+ AV in those 7 consecutive seasons mentioned above, too, which is pretty incredible. Overall, he had 8 seasons with at least 10.5 sacks as well. Pretty scary, in total.

No. 2: Aaron Donald, DT—153 AV (2014-present)

How good is this guy? He’s only played 10 NFL seasons so far, and he shows no signs of stopping after posting 15 AV in 2023. After being picked No. 13 overall, he’s also made the Pro Bowl in every season of his career to this point. He topped the NFL in sacks once (2018), and Donald has 111 sacks so far, in addition to forcing 24 fumbles and putting 260 QB hits on the opponent. He’s played in 2 Super Bowls (2018, 2021), too.

No. 1: Merlin Olsen, DT—167 AV (1962-1976)

The most dominant member of the Fearsome Foursome, Olsen was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. He rewarded this faith with 14 Pro Bowls in 15 NFL seasons, augmented by 91 sacks from his interior-line position. Only one season in his career failed to reach at least 9 AV, and overall, he posted 8 seasons of double-digit AV. He never reached a Super Bowl, but he did play in 9 playoff games, reviving the Rams.