The 10 best cornerbacks in the history of the Los Angeles Rams

While the NFL certainly loves to see stout defensive linemen stuff the run, sack the quarterback, and control the line of scrimmage, prolonged success requires that defenses boast strong secondaries as well. While the LA Rams are in the process of seeking that superb secondary for 2024, this is a tam that has had its fair share of complete cornerbacks. You may only think about a cornerback's ability to create turnovers as the ultimate test of success. But the cornerback role in the NFL has grown and expanded to far more than pass coverage.

In some defensive formations, the cornerback is nearly as vital as an outside linebacker at setting the edge, taking on and shedding blockers to tackle the ball carrier. The must be big and physical enough to take on and cover huge wide receivers and tight ends, but fast and agile enough to cover speedy receivers and running backs.

It's a complex role that has morphed into different types of defenders in different defensive schemes.

Criteria for selection

These cornerbacks were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

Now that we have that establlished, let's rank some cornerbacks:

The top 10 cornerbacks in the history of the Los Angeles Rams:

10: Janoris Jenkins

Janoris 'Jackrabbit' Jenkins was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 190 pounds, Jenkins played four seasons with the Rams before peddling his wares in free agency, and going on to play seven more seasons with four different NFL teams.

I would argue that despite his All-Pro, Pro Bowl season in 2016 with the New York Giants, his span of four seasons with the Rams were the best chapter of his NFL career. In four seasons, he put up 256 tackles, 10 interceptions, five as pick sixes, broke up 48 passes, forced three fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and even recorded a quarterback sack.

He was a bad-tempered tough tackler who excelled on defense and special teams.

9: Aeneas Williams

The next cornerback on the list in another stupendous defender in Aeneas Williams. After playing 10 seasons for the Arizona-Phoenix Cardinals, he finished off his career by playing his final four season with the St. Louis Rams. But he did not ease into retirement with the Rams. Rather he raged, earning Pro Bowl honors twice and All-Pro honors once with the Rams.

In four seasons in Horns, the 5-foot-11 200-pound cornerback put up 225 tackles, nine interceptions which includes three pick sixes, breaking up 30 passes, four forced fumbles, and even one quarterback sack. So why didn't he finish higher? He played two seasons at cornerback before moving to play the safety position in his final two seasons.

8: Jalen Ramsey

Almost everyone will acknowledge the elite play of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, an elite contributor who last played for the Rams in 2022. He is a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler and was a significant contributor to a secondary that helped the team win Super Bowl LVI. In terms of the Rams' pass coverage, defensive coordinators ensured that Ramsey was on board.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 208 pounds, Ramsey is the benchmark in modern NFL cornerbacks, with the athleticism to cover all types of receivers while possessing superior physicality, often allowing the Rams to deploy him in a number of unique and deceptive ways to fool opposing quarterbacks.

In 3.5 seasons with the LA Rams, Ramsey put up 209 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 10 interceptions, broke up 47 passes, forced four fumbles and even recorded 2.0 quarterback sacks. Ramsey was traded after the team realized it needed to retrench and refocus on young players for the 2023 defense. Ramsey continues to be an elite cornerback in the NFL.

7: Pat Thomas

Cornerback Pat Thomas is the first defensive back in this list that boasted a career that extended more than four seasons with the Rams. Thomas played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 through 1982. Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 183 pounds, Thomas was a scrappy ball-hawking cornerback.

Because he played before the NFL officially recorded many defensive statistics, we have less empirical evidence to go on. Thomas was a two-time Pro Bowler who also earned All-Pro honors once. He recorded a phenomenal 26 interceptions for the Rams and even had one pick-six. He even added seven fumble recoveries over his career. You can check out more about Pat Thomas' career at this link.

6: Rod Perry

Cornerback Rod Perry is another outstanding Los Angeles Rams defensive back from yesteryear. Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 178 pounds, Perry had a sensational career in the secondary for eight seasons in Horns. A two-time Pro Bowler, Perry is another defender whose play before the NFL officially recorded defensive stats limits the ability to compare empirical statistical evidence to more modern DBs.

If you wish to read more about Rod Perry, you can click this link and read more about him.

While we do not have easy access to the number of tackles or competion rate, we do know that Perry put up 28 interceptions, includiing four that resulted in defensive touchdowns. He also had a hand in recovering five fumbles. That translates into manufacturing more than four takeaways on average for each of his eight seasons in the Rams secondary.

5: Todd Lyght

If you want to read about a cornerback who was ahead of his time, then 6-foot-0 190-pound cornerback Todd Lyght is certainly worth your time to investigate. He as drafted in Round 1 of the 1991 NFL Draft with the fifth overall pick, and spent the next 10 NFL seasons proving why he deserved such an early selection. From 1991 through 2000, Lyght put up 677 tackles, 31 interceptions that include three pick-sixes, broke up at least 50 passes, forced six fumbles, recovered five fumbles, and even sacked the opposing quarterback 6.0 times.

Lyght was a starter for the 1999 Greatest Show On Turf team that won Super Bowl XXXIV, putting up 14 tackles, one interception, one tackle for a loss and broke up four passes in postseason competition. His effort was acknowledged that season by getting the nod by both All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. I encourage you to read more about Todd Lyght's career at this link. He was a fearless defensive back who truly peaked at just the right time for the Rams' defense.

4: Jerry Gray

Next up is the formidable 6-foot-0, 183-pound cornerback who played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams from 1985 through 1991 named Jerry Gray. In seven seasons, Gray earned All Pro honors twice, but was a four-time Pro Bowler. He was another big-time ball-hawking defensive back, recording 22 interceptions over his seven-year chapter in the Rams secondary, including three interception where he returned them for defensive touchdowns.

Gray even has six fumble recoveries for the Rams defense.

Hailing from Lubbock Texas, Gray was affectionately nicknamed the Anaheim Hillbilly when he arrived on the Rams roster in 1985. When he arrived, he had the chance to learn his craft by studying Rams cornerbacks Gary Green and LeRoy Irvin:

"If you are an incoming guy and you have to go up against guys like Gary Green and LeRoy Irvin at the corners here, you have to get out there as soon as you can to be learning, because if you do not learn, someone else will."

- Jerry Gray

Gray certainly did learn how to play.

3: LeRoy Irvin

Now we are getting to the Top Three of the group, and there is no way to deny former Rams cornerback LeRoy Irvin from his rightful place in the top tier. Irvin stood 5-foot-11 and weighed 184 pounds. But he was a complete and outstanding defensive playmaker in the secondary. He played 10 seasons in Horns, and was the type of defensive back who the opposing quarterback had to locate and track on every play.

Otherwise, LeRoy Irvin would pick off another pass.

In ten seasons on the Rams' defense, Irvin recorded 34 interceptions and took five of those picks to the house for a score. He also forced 18 fumbles and recovered 13 fumbles. And yes, Irvin even ran a fumble recovery in for a score. Irvin was an electrifying player who loved to make big plays and was a cutpurse who lay in wait, baiting the opposing quarterback, and then striking like a cobra to run in and take the football away.

2: Eddie Meador

Los Angeles Rams defensive back Eddie Meador was one of the most gifted and versatile defensive backs in the NFL in his era. He played all 12 seasons of his NFL career for the Rams. Five of those seasons were as a cornerback, and seven more were as a safety. But how can you split the career of Meador, whose only interest was getting out there on the football field and making plays.

And he made plenty of the.

Eddie Meador was a six-time Pro Bowler with the Los Angeles Rams and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-1960s Team. Unfortunately. he passed away on September 4, 2023, at 86 years old. The team released this statement to honor Meador.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an NFL great, Eddie Meador, who was a standout leader for our organization and the Los Angeles community throughout his entire 12-year career. He was an instinctive and fearless competitor who captained some of the greatest defenses in NFL history. Eddie's ability to galvanize teammates made him a heartbeat of the Rams and his humility made him approachable to everyone. The Meador family and friends are at the core of our thoughts, and his legacy will live on forever.
"

- Statement re: Eddie Meador passing

Because he began his NFL career in 1959, and played through 1970, his career masterfully crossed three decades of NFL play. He never started fewer than 11 games in each of those 12 NFL seasons. By the time he left the game, he had amassed 46 interceptions, five of which as pick-sixes. He also recovered 22 fumbles, giving the Rams defense 68 takeaways over his career.

1: Night Train Lane

The top of the charts has to be Dick 'Night Train' Lane. Night Train Lane stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 194 pounds at a time when receivers were 5-foot-10 and tight end stood six feet tall. Night Train Lane was not only one the best All-Time NFL Single Season Interception Leaders in the history of the game, but he did so in his rookie season in 1952.

This video homage to Dick 'Night Train' Lane is a must see. I have to embed the link, because NFL copyrights prevent embedding the actual video. But, it is worth the trouble to check it out.

Night Train only played two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams. But in just two years, he put up 17 interceptions, including two pick-sixes, and four fumble recovers. If the NFL recorded tackles, Night Train Lane may hold the record for tackles by a cornerback in a single season. He was a backyard bully who love to rip off opponents helmets, and two of his patented tackles were so prone to injuring opposing players that the NFL outlawed them.

He even recorded a safety, the Holy Grail of NFL defenders, in his second season with the Rams.

Perhaps the most spectacular two-game performance by a rookie cornerback is how Night Train Lane closed out the 1952 NFL season. In consecutive weeks against the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively, Night Train recorded three interceptions in each game. But to top it off, he posted a pick six in each game.

Six interceptions and two touchdowns to close out his rookie season?

There is nobody better in the history of the NFL, and may never be.

Thanks for reading.