Despite an up-and-down decade on offense, the Rams have had one of the better defenses in the NFL since Jeff Fisher took over as head coach in 2012. They had a fearsome pass rush even before Aaron Donald arrived and their secondary has always been a tough out for opposing quarterbacks. The Rams became known for their defensive identity before Sean McVay arrived, and they continued to shine under McVay and Wade Phillips.
There are a lot of players deserving of a spot on the Rams 2010s All-Decade Team, at least compared to the other side of the ball. To choose this group, we only factored in the achievements of a player during their time with the Rams between 2010-2019. For example, Chris Long’s first two years with the Rams did not affect his status on this list.
You can read the selections for offense here. We’ll start with the defensive line, and we’ll end with special teams.
Defensive end/EDGE: Robert Quinn (2011-2017) & Chris Long (2010-2015)
Since the Rams ran two different styles of defense last decade, we’ll be combining some positions here. But this is one of the most obvious choices of the entire list.
Robert Quinn’s 2013 season was one for the ages. Quinn recorded 19 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, 34 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles, and even scored a touchdown. He was named a First-Team All-Pro, the only All-Pro selection of the decade for a Rams defensive player not named Aaron Donald, and won the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year award.
The rest of Quinn’s tenure with the Rams wasn’t too shabby. He totaled 62.5 sacks in his seven years with the team, which is tied for the fourth-most in franchise history. He’ll likely go down as one of the more underrated Rams.
Though Chris Long’s numbers weren’t as flashy as Quinn’s, he was a perfect complement to him on the other side of the defensive line. In addition 45.5 sacks and 56 tackles for loss during his six years with the Rams last decade, Long was a locker room leader, a team captain, and a well-respected teammate. Players have long been vocal about how much they enjoyed playing with him.
Despite spending eight seasons with the Rams, Long will be remembered for what he accomplished in his three seasons after leaving. He won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Patriots and Eagles in addition to being selected as the Walter Payton Man of the Year in his final NFL season. Regardless, the bulk of his career starts happened with the Rams, and he’s more than deserving of a spot on this list.
Honorable Mention: William Hayes
Defensive tackle/Nose tackle: Aaron Donald (2014-2019) & Michael Brockers (2012-2019)
Aaron Donald’s six years with Rams have quite literally been history in the making.
Donald is a five-time first-team All-Pro and has made the Pro Bowl all six years. He’s been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice and PFF Defensive Player of the Year four times. He needs just 16 sacks to become the Rams’ all-time leader. His 20.5 sacks in 2018 were unheard of for an interior defensive lineman, breaking the single-season record for a defensive tackle. Donald could retire today and would probably be elected to the Hall of Fame. He’s the only player on this list that will be included on every NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s.
Michael Brockers’ box score stats don’t fly off the page, but he’s been a reliable starter for eight seasons and has been a perfect pairing in the middle alongside Donald. There’s really not much more to say about Brockers. He’s been about as reliable as they come on the defensive line for his entire tenure with the Rams since being a first-round pick in 2012.
Honorable Mention: None
Linebacker: James Laurinaitis (2010-2015), Alec Ogletree (2013-2017) & Cory Littleton (2016-2019)
For the first six seasons of the decade, Laurinaitis was at the center of the Rams defense. He played and started in every single game during his tenure with the Rams, leaving the team after the 2015 season with a streak of 112 consecutive starts. Laurinaitis tallied over 100 total tackles in every season he played with the Rams and is currently the franchise leader in career tackles. He was a leader both on and off the field in St. Louis and his inclusion on the list is a no-brainer.
Since we’re considering both inside and outside linebackers eligible here, the final two slots come down to three players: Mark Barron, Cory Littleton, and Alec Ogletree.
I’m going to award the first spot to Ogletree. A first-round pick in 2013, Ogletree stepped in and immediately became the team’s top tackler, beating out Laurinaitis for the team lead in tackles in 2013 and 2014. He led the Rams in tackles every season that he was healthy. He played both inside and outside linebacker in multiple defensive schemes, even being selected as a second-team All-Pro in his first year as a 3-4 linebacker. He wasn’t a perfect player, but he was a team captain and one of the more reliable players on the defense for half a decade. He belongs.
Littleton versus Barron is a tough one. I went with Littleton here primarily because I felt that his peak as a player was higher than Barron’s. Though he didn’t contribute a ton on defense in his first two seasons as a Ram, Littleton emerged as a lethal force in 2018, becoming the team’s second-most important defender over the last two seasons. He’s been L.A.’s leading tackler, forced plenty of turnovers, and been as reliable as an inside linebacker can be in coverage. He’s earned a massive payday this offseason.
Still, it’s an extremely tough call, and Barron does deserve to be mentioned for his achievements in his five seasons with the Rams. The Rams acquired him as a safety and he left as an inside linebacker. His transition from safety to linebacker gave the Rams some much-needed production at the position. He didn’t fit as well in a 3-4 defense as we hoped, but his time with the team was an overall success. Not bad for a guy the Rams acquired for a couple of Day 3 draft picks.
Honorable Mention: Mark Barron
Cornerbacks: Trumaine Johnson (2012-2017) & Janoris Jenkins (2012-2015)
For years, the Rams struggled both in the draft and through free agency to field a quality secondary. That all changed when Les Snead was hired as general manager in 2012. In his first draft, he selected two players that would solidify the cornerback position for the next few years: Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson.
The picks paid off in both the short and the long term. Jenkins was a force from Day 1. He snagged four interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns, which tied an NFL record for a rookie. Johnson didn’t become a full-time starter until his second season, but became a staple of the secondary for half a decade. Jenkins and Johnson both complemented each other’s strengths well and proved to be a tough matchup for opposing receivers. Neither guy was perfect, but together they formed a formidable cornerback duo.
When the pair became free agents after the 2015 season, the Rams chose not to commit long-term to either of them. The position has been a revolving door since, ranging from a late-round draft pick in E.J. Gaines to a borderline Hall of Famer in Aqib Talib.
The Rams may have had more talented cornerbacks this decade, but Johnson and Jenkins are the only guys this decade to do it for multiple seasons while wearing horns.
Honorable Mention: Marcus Peters
Safety: Rodney McLeod (2012-2015) & Lamarcus Joyner (2014-2018)
Rodney McLeod is one of the biggest undrafted success stories the Rams have had. He started his career competing for a reserve safety spot against Matt Daniels and Quinton Pointer. He ended it by accepting a $35 million contract from the Eagles.
McLeod started 43 games for the Rams during his three years as the starter and proved to be more than capable as the starting safety. He forced eight fumbles, snagged five interceptions, and scored a touchdown. He emerged as one of the better safeties in the league in his fourth and final season with the Rams. He won a Super Bowl alongside Chris Long a few years later.
Lamarcus Joyner slides into the final spot on our All-Decade defense, barely edging out T.J. McDonald. Joyner earns this spot due to being a contributor on the Rams at multiple positions over a longer tenure with the team, as well as just being a more productive safety for the Rams than McDonald was. Joyner shifted from cornerback to safety in 2017 after McDonald’s departure and proved to be a far superior player at the position than his predecessor. He was a major factor in the Rams’ turnaround, and the team valued him so much that they placed the franchise tag on him at the end of the season. His 2018 wasn’t nearly as productive, but he was still a capable starter on an NFC championship team. I have no problem including him in this group.
Honorable Mention: T.J. McDonald, John Johnson
Don’t close out just yet! We’ve still got three spots left on the All-Decade Team.
Kicker: Greg Zurlein (2012-2019)
The Rams’ special teams changed forever when they drafted a local Division II kicker. Zuerlein quickly earned the nickname “Legatron” due to the incredible power of his leg. I don’t think Zuerlein has ever come up short on a field goal in his eight seasons with the Rams. He’s made 82% of his field goals and hit from over 50 yards 33 times. He attempted the most 50-yard field goals in NFL history as a rookie and is one of two players to hit from over 60 yards twice. Zuerlein might be the best kicker the franchise has ever had.
Honorable Mention: None.
Punter: Johnny Hekker (2012-2019)
The Rams’ not-so-secret weapon, Hekker has made opposing teams fear both his leg and his arm. He was the best punter in the NFL last decade. Hekker has been selected as a first-team All-Pro four times, a second-team All-pro twice, and has made four Pro Bowl squads. His 65-yard punt in Super Bowl LIII is a Super Bowl record.
Still, despite all the accolades for his kicking ability, Hekker is best known for his ability to convert on fakes. The Rams relied on him in big spots multiple times over the decade, and he usually delivered. He’s the only punter in franchise history to throw for a touchdown since the merger.
Honorable Mention: Donnie Jones
Return specialist: Tavon Austin (2013-2017)
It feels a bit odd to choose a guy who’s replacement became an All-Pro return specialist while he was still on the roster. But it also doesn’t feel right to talk about the Rams’ last decade without mentioning Tavon Austin.
Austin was one of the most lethal weapons the Rams have put on a football field this decade despite the fact that he isn’t even that good of a football player. One thing was always true when it came to Tavon: If he had the ball in the open field, he was as good as anybody in the league. This was true both on offense and on special teams. Austin returned a kick for a touchdown in each of his first three seasons with the Rams. While he never quite lived up to expectations as a Ram, he was a dangerous player on special teams under John Fassel and Jeff Fisher.
For whatever reason, it feels right for Tavon Austin to be the final player on this team.
Honorable Mention: Pharoh Cooper
