Los Angeles Rams: 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time

As great as it can be for a team to hold the top overall pick in the draft, it also brings a ton of pressure when it comes to making sure the right player is selected.

Otherwise, there’s always the fear of looking back wondering what could have been with someone else at the selection. At least this wasn’t an issue for the Rams in 1997, as they went with former Ohio State star offensive tackle Orlando Pace at No. 1.

Do the New York Jets regret allowing the Rams to trade up from No. 6 to No. 1 in 1997, given that Pace would go on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career, as well as play a major role in the Rams winning the Super Bowl XXXIV at the end of the 1999 season?

Most likely, the answer to that question is “yes”. Pace proved to be a one of a kind player on the offensive line, and another star from “The Greatest Show on Turf” era of Rams football.

Watching Pace pave the way for his former teammates in Warner and Faulk, while earning Pro Bowl honors seven years in a row beginning in 1999, makes it seem like the decision for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 an easy one.

Plenty of key players receive the rightful credit for the success behind “The Greatest Show on Turf” all those years. Pace easily deserves just as much recognition as the skill position players. Without him, the offense may never have been as dominant.