Group of former Los Angeles Rams legends named to ESPN’s best draft picks of all time list originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

In an ambitious undertaking, ESPN’s Benjamin Solak listed the best NFL draft picks at each draft slot, 1 to 262, of all time. While there are a few spots here that could be thoroughly debated, the biggest takeaway was the sheer number of spots that former Los Angeles Rams players occupied on the list.

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Nine former Rams took spots on the team, led by arguably the best defensive player of all time, DT Aaron Donald, who was named the best 13th overall pick of all time.

“Donald was actually not the slam dunk that I thought he would be here, as Tony Gonzalez — owner of just about every career tight end production record you can think of — put up a good fight. As it is, Donald played 10 seasons and made eight first-team All-Pros, which is about as dominant as dominant gets. His 20.5 sacks in 2018 remain a towering, almost unachievable figure for a defensive tackle.”

Joining Donald were eight other former Rams: DE Jack Youngblood at 20th overall, OT Andrew Whitworth at 55th overall, CB Aeneas Williams at 59th overall, DE Kevin Greene at 113th, OT Fred Miller at 141st, WR Puka Nacua at 177th, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick at 250th, and LB Scott Shanle at 251st.

While some of these players, like Whitworth and Williams, weren’t originally drafted by the Rams, both of them turned in Pro Bowl and All-Pro seasons with the team. Here’s what Solak had to say on both:

Andrew Whitworth:

“Whitworth played 239 games over 16 seasons (wow!), and he needed all 16 of those seasons to get his ring with the Rams. Whit worked his way into a dominant back half of his career, making his first Pro Bowl at 31 and first All-Pro team at 34. The Bengals, who drafted him, will appreciate him for his 11 seasons of quality play, and the Rams enjoyed his strong sunset.”

Aeneas Williams:

“Williams’ 55 career picks has him in the top 20 of all time, and he made eight Pro Bowls — seven as a corner and one as a safety, speaking to his versatility. He’s the lone Hall of Famer here without much competition, so an easy selection for me.”

Other former Rams were considered for spots, but lost out to others. Wide receiver Isaac Bruce was considered at 33rd overall, but was understandably beaten out by Brett Favre. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was also in the running at 69th, but lost that spot to Jason Witten. Current Rams receiver Davante Adams lost the 53rd overall spot to Hall of Famer Mel Blount.

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Perhaps the most surprising is Rams legend Jackie Slater losing the 86th overall spot to WR Andre Reed, despite having more All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances and being one of just eight players the Rams have retired in their history.

Were there any other Rams players you would have put in?

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.