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          NFL Nation

          #NFLRank: No. 57 James Laurinaitis

          • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterAug 23, 2013, 01:25 PM ET
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              Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
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          EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It took four days before any Rams appeared on our #NFLRank project, which lists the top 100 NFL players on each side of the ball. This morning, the Rams added a third in a two-day span when linebacker James Laurinaitis made the cut.

          Laurinaitis is No. 57 on the list of the league’s best defensive players according to the newest reveal, which shows players ranked No. 60 through 51.

          On Thursday, offensive tackle Jake Long checked in at No. 61 on offense and cornerback Cortland Finnegan landed at No. 63 on defense.

          Defense, No. 57 Laurinaitis

          Stats & Info: Laurinaitis has 222 solo tackles over the past two seasons, most of any player in the league. Only 15 players even had 222 total tackles (including assists).

          My take: Laurinaitis was a day-one starter for the Rams and has become the team’s best at that position since London Fletcher departed way back in 2002. Although he may not be as flashy as some of the other high-profile middle linebackers in the league, Laurinaitis is the focal point of an emerging Rams defense and should only continue to improve as young defenders around him get better.