Ranking any franchise’s all-time best players will always be subjective. There are so many factors to consider, whether it’s championships won, individual stats, awards or postseason success – among many other things to consider.
One way to take the human element out of the selection process is by deferring to artificial intelligence. Even still, it’s hard for AI to rank the 15 best players in Rams history without ruffling some feathers and angering fans.
We asked ChatGPT, the viral language model AI chatbot, to rank the top 15 players to ever wear a Rams uniform and the result was perfectly reasonable. We don’t know what ChatGPT used as the basis for its rankings, but what we can say is the chatbot’s data only goes back to 2021 so it doesn’t have any knowledge of events that occurred from 2022 on.
That undoubtedly hurt Aaron Donald’s placement on the list, considering he won a Super Bowl in 2022. Cooper Kupp probably wouldn’t have made the top 15 regardless, but he also won a ring and was named Offensive Player of the Year after the 2021 season.
Here’s how ChatGPT ranked the Rams’ top 15 players, with Roman Gabriel and Torry Holt receiving honorable mentions.
- Merlin Olsen
- Marshall Faulk
- Eric Dickerson
- Deacon Jones
- Jack Youngblood
- Kurt Warner
- Isaac Bruce
- Jackie Slater
- Tom Mack
- Orlando Pace
- Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch
- Rosey Grier
- Lawrence McCutcheon
- Aaron Donald
- Bob Waterfield
So, what do you think? The Rams have had so many legends wear the horns, so separating even the top 10 is difficult. Olsen, Jones and Youngblood are all considered all-time great defensive linemen, while Faulk and Dickerson are two of the best running backs to ever play in the NFL.
Warner didn’t spent a ton of time with the Rams but he won a Super Bowl and MVP and was the quarterback of one of the best offenses in NFL history. Bruce was a major part of that offense, too, as was Pace at left tackle.
The most glaring issue with ChatGPT’s list is Donald’s placement. He should be much higher than No. 14, especially after winning a ring. He’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and is considered one of the best defenders in league history.
