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

There’s a popular saying about how everything happens for a reason. Looking back at how close Merlin Olsen was to joining the Denver Broncos in 1962 when they were part of the AFL, the Rams are lucky he decided to go NFL instead.

Right away, Olsen wasted little time making an impact with the Rams on the defensive side of the football by starting all 12 games in 1962.

Believe it or not, Olsen would end up being another player that spent his entire NFL career with the Rams. He would only miss two games from 1962 to 1976, which is truly amazing to think about, when seeing how common injuries can be.

Despite all the team’s success at earning trips to the Super Bowl, Olsen was unfortunately never able to earn a Super Bowl title with the Rams. However, taking home 14 Pro Bowl honors in a row beginning as a rookie in 1962 was quite impressive.

The Rams have seen plenty of amazing players come and go in all their years as a franchise, but what Olsen provided to the defense from an impact perspective was truly special. It was no surprise to see him eventually be an easy selection for a spot in Canton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.