How Good Is Los Angeles Ram’s Aaron Donald?
By Jeff Henning
Aaron Donald Is Playing At An Elite Level
Listen. Can you hear it? It’s the stampede of ten thousand crazy Houston Texan’s fans that are about to riot outside of my house in the largest display of open flame and pitchforks since Bobby Boucher said he wasn’t going to play in the Bourbon Bowl. As good as J.J. Watt is, it may be time to consider that there’s a new candidate for best defensive player in the league.
If you happened to watch the St. Louis Rams at all this season, you should be fairly familiar with another #99. An inside defensive tackle, his name is Aaron Donald and he’s an absolute menace. While fans got a glimpse inside the world of J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans with HBO’s hit series ‘Hard Knocks,’ the 24 year old Pittsburgh native was busy perfecting his craft back in St. Louis. 2015 was Donald’s 2nd full season as a professional and it’s already evident that he is the best inside defender in the NFL. In fact, this season Donald tied with fellow defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Kawann Short for the league lead in sacks among D-tackles with 11.
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
Donald is more than just a sack artist though. The 6’0” 280 pounder is the definition of disruptive. He recorded 69 combined tackles, which finished 17 better than the aforementioned Atkins, and 14 more than Short. Donald’s stat line reads more like a defensive ends than it does a defensive tackle, and that’s why Donald deserves such high praise, but, the stats get even sweeter for Donald. Earlier this year, Pro Football Focus gave Donald a player rating of 99.9, the highest mark they’ve ever given any individual player, which includes J.J. Watt, the man who used to hold the record for highest rating.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Donald is that, upon first glance, you might think the Pitt Panther product is too undersized to be an effective inside defensive lineman. However, the truth is that Donald is one of the more complete players in this league. His deceptive speed and masterful hand skills give him the edge on just about any offensive lineman that opposes him. With Donald, he understands what the offense is trying to accomplish and can adapt whether it be stopping the run or rushing the passer. Donald’s run stopping ability is evident by the stats, as his percentage rated in the top-5 amongst defensive tackles. He is also among the league leaders in quarterback pressures which is why he deserves the title “Donald the Disruptor.”
The truth is that Donald is one of the more complete players in this league
It should also be noted that for most of the 2015 season, Aaron Donald played without his top pass rushing defensive end Robert Quinn. With Quinn, among many other notable Rams defensive players, Donald saw more double-teams than ever before. It’s Donald’s explosiveness off the line and shear strength that helped him beat the numerous double teams he faced, to further exemplify the elite talent that he’s becoming.
Although J.J. Watt will more than likely win this year’s DPOY, there’s no doubt that Donald’s name will come up in the conversation. Watt has the advantage of being excellent for half a decade while Donald’s sample size happens to be much smaller. (Watt has played 80 career regular season games as opposed to Donald’s 32) Make no mistake about it though, the gap between Watt and the rest of the league for best defensive player is as marginalized as it’s ever been and it should surprise no one if Donald usurps Watt after the 2016 season.