Super Bowl LVI will undoubtedly be one to remember for the Los Angeles Rams. To become world champions by winning it at their own stadium in front of their own fans will live forever in memory.
The MVP on the day at the SoFi Stadium was Cooper Kupp, which was no surprise as he’s been astonishing all season. In terms of yards and touchdowns in the regular campaign, the league’s leading receiver showed all his prowess to score the game-winning points and deservedly received plaudits from the likes of CBS and the media around the world.
Kupp has grown into a fantastic player; he’s gone from the raw third-round draft pick with bags of potential back in 2017 to becoming one of the most feared and respected wide receivers in the NFL within five years. His form, allied with the precision arm of Matthew Stafford, are two of the main reasons why the Rams are now sitting pretty at the top of football. However, while The Rams were favorites for Super Bowl LVI in the Ladbrokes NFL betting odds, and are favorites again next season, they still had to dig deep to get their hands on the trophy. The manner of their comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the showpiece game demonstrated the perfect combination of heart, desire, and talent needed to get the job done.
But does Kupps’ performance and game-winning points haul mean he’s the best Rams draft pick we’ve ever seen? Let’s take a look at some of his rivals for that crown.
Orlando Pace
Expectations were already high when The Rams brought in Orlando Pace as the number one pick in the 1997 draft. He was a two-time Lombardi Award winner at Ohio State, and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year – he literally had everything. Would it translate into the pro game? Absolutely. Pace became one of the most dominant left tackles in the history of the game in a 12-season stay with the Rams and he is one of the most deserving Hall of Famers in Pro Football.
https://youtu.be/tXib8q8IAjI
Isaac Bruce
While Kupp is grabbing the headlines now, he’s still got some way to better the career of Isaac Bruce. The 1994 second-round draft pick out of Memphis had an astonishing career with the Rams; in 14 seasons with the franchise, he made 942 receptions, gaining 14,109 yards and scoring 84 touchdowns. Bruce is still a Ram’s record holder for over 10 years since his last game, which speaks volumes, and like Pace before him, he also had his achievements acknowledged, finally, by being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
https://youtu.be/60ctwsF1M2c
Kevin Greene struck fear in the eyes of opposition quarterbacks, no matter whether that was for Auburn in college or for the Rams. The 1985 fifth-round draft pick was relentless in the pursuit of the opposition; his stats say it all, in eight years, he racked up 72.5 sacks, with 16.5 of them coming in consecutive years (1988,89). Simply put, Greene was one of the most consistent performers ever to wear the Ram’s uniform.
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Steven Jackson was fantastic for the Rams and arguably didn’t get the credit he deserved from elsewhere. The running back who came out of Oregon State as the 24th pick in the 2004 draft was so good it seemed like no one wanted to tackle him! He’s the all-time leading rusher in franchise history, running for over 10,000 yards.
One of the best receivers of the 2000s was Torry Holt, the young man from Gibsonville, North Carolina joined the Rams as the sixth overall pick in the 1999 draft after starring for N.C. State in college. In his rookie season, he played his part in the then St Louis Rams winning the Super Bowl, and in nine years with the franchise, he finished with 869 receptions, 12,660 yards, and 74 touchdowns.
https://youtu.be/hk7s1p6_nQ8
