If this ranking were constructed purely on cultural weight, terrifying aura, and historical impact, David "Deacon" Jones would sit comfortably at the very top of the list. Honestly, he came exceptionally close to taking the crown.

Jones personally coined the phrase "sacking the quarterback," a term that redefined how defensive football was played, coached, and evaluated. Before Jones revolutionized the left defensive end position, pass rushers were primarily expected to hold the line and contain the run; Jones turned the edge into an explosive launching pad, transforming defensive players into marquee superstars and highlight-reel main attractions.

His entire legendary story began almost entirely by accident. Selected in the 14th round (186th overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft out of Mississippi Vocational College (now Mississippi Valley State) after starting at South Carolina State, Jones was drafted by scouting director Eddie Kotal primarily for his raw, unverified track speed rather than polished football acumen.

That gamble paid off in gold as Jones evolved into the engine of the "Fearsome Foursome"—alongside Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy—forming the most feared defensive front of the 1960s. Utilizing his signature, brutal "head slap" technique to stun opposing tackles off the snap, Jones possessed a terrifying closing burst that left quarterbacks helpless in the pocket.

While the NFL did not officially track quarterback sacks during his playing era, retroactive film analysis by Pro Football Reference credits Jones with an extraordinary 159.5 sacks in a Rams uniform alone (and 173.5 across his career, ranking third all-time). In Los Angeles, he led the league in sacks in five different seasons between 1964 and 1969, including unbelievable 22.0-sack campaigns in both 1964 and 1968—achieved in 14-game regular seasons.

During his 11-year run with Los Angeles (1961–1971), Jones earned seven Pro Bowl selections and was named a First-Team AP All-Pro in five consecutive seasons from 1965 to 1969. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) in both 1967 and 1968, standing as the supreme defensive gatekeeper of his generation.

Despite the hefty—and completely deserved—praise he earned, the primary reason Jones did not claim the top spot on this list is that his total tenure in Los Angeles was slightly shorter than that of the franchise's other immortal icons. Traded to San Diego in 1972 before finishing his career with Washington in 1974, his overall body of work in a Rams uniform remains staggering, even if it ended earlier than expected.  Unofficially, he had 159.5 sacks in Southern California.

National honors followed Jones at every turn. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 in his first year of eligibility, he was named to both the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 2009, the Rams organization officially retired his iconic No. 75 jersey, and in 2019 he was posthumously selected to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.