Bill Barnwell and Robert Mays do a great job on their NFL podcasts. Yesterday, I listened to their NFC West preview, and it’s just stunning the amount of highly drafted talent the Rams have on both lines. We already know that the Rams have four former first rounders on the team’s starting defensive line, making them the first team since the 2012 Saints to pull off that feat. With Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Michael Brockers, and Aaron Donald, St. Louis has the best defensive line (at least on paper) in the NFL.

But the Rams also have two former first round picks on the offensive line, too, with Jake Long and Greg Robinson, the team’s first overall pick this year.  In fact, consider:

• St. Louis has three linemen who were first or second overall picks: Long, Long, and Robinson. (Imagine if the Jason Smith pick worked out?)
• The Rams also have three other linemen drafted in the top fourteen in Quinn, Brockers, and Donald.
• Add in Rodger Saffold, and seven of the Rams’ starting nine linemen were drafted in the top 33. The exceptions: Scott Wells and Joe Barksdale.

But the 2014 Rams won’t set the record for most starting linemen ^[1]I am including all players who started at least half of their team’s games. who were former first round picks.  That record is shared by an earlier Rams team and the 1997 Raiders.

• The 1976 Rams had Jack Youngblood and Fred Dryer at defensive end and Merlin Olsen at right defensive tackle (the other tackle, Larry Brooks, made the Pro Bowl that year, too). The offensive line had four former first round picks.  Doug France and Dennis Harrah, two of the Rams first round picks in 1975, started at left tackle and right guard respectively; they were joined by former first round picks at left guard (Tom Mack) and right tackle (John Williams). Ironically, center Rich Saul was the offensive line’s only non-first round pick and the unit’s only Pro Bowler. ^[2]Of note: The Rams third first round pick in 1975 was defensive tackle Mike Fanning. I can not confirm or deny whether Jeff Fisher ran this draft. Los Angeles finished third in both points scored and allowed, but lost to the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
• In 1997, Raiders started four defensive linemen drafted in the top 16: Darrell Russell, Russell Maryland, Chester McGlockton, and Anthony Smith.  On the offensive line, Steve Wisniewski was the only Pro Bowler, but he was a second round pick.  But both tackles (Pat Harlow, Lincoln Kennedy) were early first round picks, and Lester Holmes was the 19th overall selection by the Eagles in 1993.  Oakland also had a first round pick at quarterback (Jeff George), running back (Napoleon Kaufman), wide receiver (Tim Brown), and tight end (Rickey Dudley). The team went 4-12.