Biggest draft steals in Rams history

2: OT Jackie Slater

Drafted: 3rd Round, 86th overall in 1976

When the LA Rams drafted offensive tackle Jackie Slater with the 86th overall pick in 1976, they would have been pleased to get a starting offensive tackle for the next six years. Instead, Slater played an epic 20 seasons in horns, with his last season in 1995. 20 years as an offensive tackle.

The 6-foot-4 277-pound offensive tackle out of Jackson State does not have statistics that I can point you towards that can validate just how elite of an NFL offensive tackle he was, but he was a four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, at a time when performance was the criteria, and not popularity.

Slater helped to carry the Rams to appear in the NFL Playoffs 10 times. If you want to enjoy yourself, call up a Jackie Slater highlights video on YouTube, sit back, and enjoy.

1: DE Deacon Jones

Drafted: 6th Round, 186th overall in 1961

Neither words nor praises can adequately describe the sheer impact that Rams defensive end Deacon Jones made in the NFL. He was a pioneer for black players in the NFL and defensive linemen. He was so much better than his peers that he was credited with coining the phrase of tackling the quarterback as a "quarterback sack."

He often compared tackling the quarterback like sacking a city, and the phrase stuck. And so did David "Deacon" Jones, who was also nicknamed the Secretary of Defense.

Jones was tackling quarterbacks before that was an official statistic. As such, he stands as the top-ranked Rams All-Time Career Quarterback Sacks leader with 159.5 quarterback sacks, but even that number may be understating his numbers.

There has never been a player as devastating on defense in the NFL like Deacon Jones, and may never be again. Best of all, he was selected with the 186th pick of the 1961 NFL Draft.

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