11 best Rams O-linemen in franchise history

The 11 All-Time best Rams offensive linemen in franchise history
The Rams football team has bosted some of the best offensive linemen in NFL history. Here are the 11 All=Time best Rams offensive linemen.

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Ah, offensive linemen, the horsepower to the LA Rams offense. As much as we all love to see that football arc through the air from end zone to end zone for an explosive offensive play, the guys who never seem to get enough credit are the elephants in the room. Rather, the five dancing elephants whose sole purpose is to keep defenders away from anyone with the football in their possession.

Offensive linemen are a special group of football players. While we can single out individuals to praise and bestow accolades upon, it is the cohesion and function of the entire group that spells success or disaster for the team. As such, I felt that the perfect way to honor this groups special interactions was to honor not ten, but 11, players. That is the same number as the number of players that takes the football field at any one time.

It seemed to be the perfect way to honor a group that is so dependant upon one another.

Whether it comes down to protecting the quarterback for a long enough interval to ensure that he can diagnose the defensive coverage long enough to make a completion, or opening running lanes for the running back, Rams offensive linemen dictate the tempo, the urgency, and quite often the outcome of football games.

It has certainly become a priority for the team in 2024.

Criteria for selection

Ranking five different positions in one list can be very imposing. The problem is that its similar to ranking all offesnive skill positions, which is a lot like fruit salad. But there is a cohesive element to all offensive linemen that includes pass-blocking, run blocking, and how effective these players were in comparison to their peers. These offensive linemen in this article were chosen based on a combination of:

Statistical Achievements
Impact on Success
Longevity
Memorable Moments

Now that we have that established, let’s rank our offensive linemen:

11: Rodger Saffold

Offensive guard Rodger Saffold was selected by the Saint Louis Rams in Round 2 of 2010 NFL Draft with the 33rd overall pick, and proceeded to play for the team for nine seasons. During his tenure, he was a staple of the offensive line, playing 114 games for the team and starting 111 of those games. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 325 pounds, the former Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman was one of the reasons that the Rams competed in postseason competition in both 2017 and 2018.

Saffold, while a game-changing offensive lineman for the Rams in 2018, signed a massive four-year $44 million contract to play for the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Saffold did not allow a single sack for the Rams in the 2019 NFL Playoffs, not even against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

10: Andrew Whitworth

After playing 11 seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals, many thought that left tackle Andrew Whitworth might simply stop competing and retire. But at the age of 36 years old, the veteran offensive lineman decided to give newly hired Rams head coach Sean McVay a chance. And curiously, Big Whit was exactly what this team needed.

Whitworth set the bar and pace of playing on the Rams offensive line by putting in an All-Pro season in just his first year in Horns. He would go on to play for the team for a total of five seasons, competing in the NFL Playoffs in four of those seasons. He would start nine games for the Rams, appear in two Super Bowls, and finally won Super Bowl LVI in a game against his former team, the Cincinatti Bengals. In 2021, his final year in the NFL, he would also earn honors as the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

9: Doug France

The Rams have built a reputation over the span of time by fielding a ruthless defense, a mechanized ground assault, and offensive linemen who seem to have the ability to move mountains. And yes, 6-foot-5, 270-pound Doug France checks all the boxes of an outstanding offensive lineman. France played seven glorious seasons for the Rams, retired, and then unretired to play one more season for the Houston Oilers.

He was a two-time Pro Bowler and earned second-team All-Pro honors as well. He was a collegiate tight end who transitioned to left tackle and was described by NFL sportswriter Joel Buchsbaum as:

“A great athlete with amazing quickness and backward mobility. A dominant blocker who manhandles defensive ends.” – Joel Buchsbaum

While extremely talented, France was not cut out for the mentality needed to flourish in the NFL trenches. Had he played longer, he would likely have earned a higher sport on this list.

8: Tom Newberry

When the LA Rams selected interior offensive lineman Tom Newberry in Round 2 of the 1986 NFL Draft with the 50th overall pick, the hope was that he would be a solid starter for the team’s offensive line. What the team discovered is that the former Wisconsin-Lacrosse player had a knack for competing in the NFL. He played in 131 games for the Los Angeles Rams, and startied 128 of thos games. He closed out his career playing one more season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While an All-Pro alternate in 1987, Newberry earned both All-Pro and Pro Bowl honoers while playing for the Rams in both 1988 and 1989. Newberry stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 285 pounds, and was able to play and start for the Rams at center and left guard. He even played and started for the Rams in five playoff games,

7: Doug Smith

Six time Pro Bowler Doug Smith has one of the most unique NFL careers that you will ever run across. Undrafted but signed by the Los Angeles Rams in 1978, Smith had a versatile background that included not only playing on the offensive line, but also playing as a long snapper. Because he unsure of NFL teams’ interest, he expected that he may need to rely on his long snapper forte to land and NFL contract.

Instead, Smith started at three different offensive line positions in his first four NFL seasons: Center, right guard, and right tackle. Even when he played, that feat was unheard of. Smith’s versatility is enough unto itself to land him honors on this list. But he was a six-time Pro Bowler as well. He played 14 seasons (1978-1991) in the NFL, and all 14 years were in The Horns.

6: Charlie Cowan

While we are on versatile offensive linemen, Charlie Cowan has to get the nod here. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 264 pounds, Cowan would be viewed as undersized in the modern NFL. But since his playing days encompassed 15 seasons from 1961 through 1975, he was a mountain of a man.

Cowan arrived in the NFL in 1961 and played left guard for the team. He would remain the starter for over three seasons. But he played in an odd offensive formation. It was the brainchild of Coach Tommy Prothro, and Cowan lined up on the opposite side of the tight end. To clarify, if the tight end lined up on the left side of the offensive line, Chariie Cowan would line up as the right tackle. If the tight end would form up on the right side, Cowan would line up on the left side.

Confused? So were defenses. Cowan was a three-time Pro Bowler and was twice honored with second-team All Pro honors.

5: Dennis Harrah

When it comes to saving the best for last, you could make the argument that veteran offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth tops theat list. But if you understood the lengthy and venerable career of former Rams offensive guard Dennis Harrah, you would likely find yourself torn in two directions. After all, how many offensive guards earn All-Pro honors in the season before they retire?

That is the legacy of Dennis Harrah. He always gave 110 percent throughout his lengthy 13-season career that lasted from 1975 through 1987. Drafted with the 11th overall pick in Round 1 of the 1975 NFL Draft from the University of Miami, Harrah’s NFL career did not begin with a red carpet treatment.

In those days, rookie contracts were not earmarked by the NFLPA-NFL agreement, so it was get what you can as soon as you can. As a result, Harrah held out as a rookie for nearly 30 days, and that set him way behind his teammates. But some veterans worked with him to help him catch up:

“Yeah, they took me under their wing, alright. Basically, between (guards) Tom Mack, Joe Scibelli, and (defensive end) Jack Youngblood, they sort of brought me into the mix. And so I blame everything on them.”

And catch up he did. Harrah would go on to earn Pro Bowl honors six times, and he even earned All-Pro honors in his 12th NFL season. He never stopped supporting his former team. When the Rams hosted the Atlanta Falcons at SoFi Stadium on September 18, he was honored on that date as the team’s “Legend of the Game.”

4: Rich Saul

It is unfathomable to envision any NFL long snapper earning the right to start as a team’s center, let alone outplay all of his peers at that position. But that is the story of Rams center and long-snapper Rich Saul. Saul was a 6-foot-3 241-pound offensive lineman who was born in Butler Pennsylvania with his identical twin, Ron Saul. Both would attend college at Michigan State. Ironically, Rich would excel on defense as a defensive end and linebacker, while Ron would excel on offense as a fullback and offensive lineman. In the 1970 NFL Draft, the Houston Oilers selected Ron Saul in Round 6, while the Los Angeles Rams selected Rich Saul in Round

When Rich Saul joined the Rams, then HC George Allen insisted that he put on weight to compete for the center role. So fearful was Saul of being cut that he would slip a sack of coins under his hat for weigh-ins. ESPN senior writer Mike Sando goes on to share that Saul’s efforts to put on weight did not stop there:

“When we would go through the [cafeteria] line in camp, most would put a plate on a tray and then food on (a) plate. Rich (Saul) had to eat so much, he would load the food on his tray. He would skip the plate. I will tell you, up until a few days before he died, we were stuffing him full of food in the hospital.”

Saul would play as the team’s long-snapper for five seasons, eventually winning the starting center role in 1975, his sixth season in the NFL. He would be the team’s starting center for seven seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors in six of thos seven seasons. He would even earn second team All Pro honors as well.

3: Tom Mack

It’s tough to find even a casual NFL fan who does not recognize the name of former Rams Pro Bowl left guard Tom Mack. Despite the fact that the 6-foot-3 250-pound offensive lineman played 13 seasons for the Rams from 1966 through 1978, fans still recognize the name as the standard of excellence for offensive linemen.

Tom Mack is enshrined in the Professional Football Hall of Fame. As far as interior offensive linemen go, it takes a special type of player to stand out enough to be noticed. An offensive lineman must either be very big and powerful, almost indestructible as a pass blocker, or as balanced and swift as a speed skater on ice. Mack was more of the latter version:

“In my own case, I (ha)ve always thought that one of the best things I (ha)ve had going for me is my speed. I (a)m not as big and strong as some guards…but I think one of the things I can do best is block on a sweep”

Mack never failed to suit up for a game. And of those 184 games in his career, he started 176 contests. He was honored with Pro Bowl status 11 times in his career, as well as being named to the All-Pro second team three times. He is second in the history of the NFL for consecutive games played at 184.

Mack played on some outstanding offensive lines for the Rams. But his steadfast, consistent, ironman durability was the lynchpin that held the group together year after year.

2: Orlando Pace

When you think of the best of the best in terms of NFL offensive tackles, if the name Orlando Pace does not spring to mind, then you are missing one of the most superb and significant careers in NFL history. Orlando Pace was the guy who protected the blind side of venerable quarterback Kurt Warner. He was the guy whose performance on the offensive line allowed the “Show on Turf,” to become the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Pace was the right guy for the job when the team needed him most.

While so many offensive weapons of the Saint Louis Rams have been honored since the team won Super Bowl XXXIV, the foundation of success in undoubtedly due to the fact that the team had the best left tackle in the NFL on the football field for that game.

Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and even earned All-Pro second-team honors. He has been inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

1: Jackie Slater

It’s almost impossible to think of elite LA Rams offensive linemen and not think of offensive tackle Jackie Slater. And in the context of ‘who was better?’, Rams fans quite frequently find themselves lining up being split down the middle between Orland Pace and Jackie Slater. So how did I break the tie?

While Orlando Pace was honored more frequently over the span of his NFL career, and knew the thrill of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, I have to give the nod to Jackie Slater. While Orlando Pace delivered over and above expectations when he heard his name called out in the 1997 NFL Draft for 12 NFL seasons in The Horns, and one more year with the Bears, Jackie Slater delivered as a starting offensive tackle of the LA Rams for 20 seasons.

20 NFL seasons of physically demanding football at left tackle.

Slater played in 259 games, and started in 211 games. He competed in 18 playoff games, and started in 13 postseason contests. While Pace shined in the spotlight, Slater did his best work whenever he stepped onto a football field. He was a no-nonsense guy whose goal was not to win trophies or praise. Rather, he simply wanted to become the best football player he could be.