Linebacker: James Laurinaitis (2010-2015), Alec Ogletree (2013-2017) & Cory Littleton (2016-2019)

For the first six seasons of the decade, Laurinaitis was at the center of the Rams defense. He played and started in every single game during his tenure with the Rams, leaving the team after the 2015 season with a streak of 112 consecutive starts. Laurinaitis tallied over 100 total tackles in every season he played with the Rams and is currently the franchise leader in career tackles. He was a leader both on and off the field in St. Louis and his inclusion on the list is a no-brainer.

Since we’re considering both inside and outside linebackers eligible here, the final two slots come down to three players: Mark Barron, Cory Littleton, and Alec Ogletree.

I’m going to award the first spot to Ogletree. A first-round pick in 2013, Ogletree stepped in and immediately became the team’s top tackler, beating out Laurinaitis for the team lead in tackles in 2013 and 2014. He led the Rams in tackles every season that he was healthy. He played both inside and outside linebacker in multiple defensive schemes, even being selected as a second-team All-Pro in his first year as a 3-4 linebacker. He wasn’t a perfect player, but he was a team captain and one of the more reliable players on the defense for half a decade. He belongs.

Littleton versus Barron is a tough one. I went with Littleton here primarily because I felt that his peak as a player was higher than Barron’s. Though he didn’t contribute a ton on defense in his first two seasons as a Ram, Littleton emerged as a lethal force in 2018, becoming the team’s second-most important defender over the last two seasons. He’s been L.A.’s leading tackler, forced plenty of turnovers, and been as reliable as an inside linebacker can be in coverage. He’s earned a massive payday this offseason.

Still, it’s an extremely tough call, and Barron does deserve to be mentioned for his achievements in his five seasons with the Rams. The Rams acquired him as a safety and he left as an inside linebacker. His transition from safety to linebacker gave the Rams some much-needed production at the position. He didn’t fit as well in a 3-4 defense as we hoped, but his time with the team was an overall success. Not bad for a guy the Rams acquired for a couple of Day 3 draft picks.

Honorable Mention: Mark Barron