2017-Present - McVay's run

Player Profile: Aaron Donald

Photo credit: Ryan Kang/Associated Press.

Aaron Donald has developed into the best defensive player in the NFL. Entering his fifth season with the Los Angeles Rams, the former Pittsburgh Panther turned into the team’s leader on defense. A player of his caliber is rare to find and his contract holdout has once again put the Rams in a precarious situation if a deal is not struck. On a team loaded with talent on defense, Donald’s mere presence makes the biggest impact. It is no surprise that the NFL ranked him as the seventh best player in the NFL and the best player on defense.

Aaron Donald has a deadly combination of speed, power,  and technical ability

Donald is ridiculously fast for a person of his size. Quarterbacks know that they have only a few seconds to get the ball off with Donald at the line of scrimmage. At 6’1″ 285 pounds, it is scary sight if you are an offensive lineman or quarterback seeing Donald barrel his way past them. When Donald does not get past the line of scrimmage, his raw power and excellent ability to use his hands make it nearly impossible to contain him.

Donald’s short frame is a major advantage

Standing at 6’1, Aaron Donald will never be considered the tallest defensive tackle on the planet. In fact, he is well short to what NFL standards would be. However, Donald uses that lack of height to his advantage. His blistering speed at the line of scrimmage creates mismatches against his counterparts in the trenches. His explosiveness is a QB’s worst nightmare. In 2017, he recorded 41 tackles, 11 sacks, and five forced fumbles. Opponents are in awe of his natural ability to get past the line of scrimmage:

“What Aaron Donald’s doing in L.A. right now is second to none. I mean, that dude is so impressive. The best guys have it all. Aaron Donald is one of those guys that has every aspect. He’s smart, he’s explosive, he’s competitive, he’s giving effort every single play and he’s powerful. So I mean, the guy has no weaknesses and that’s a frustrating thing for an offensive lineman to go up against.” – Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles

Donald puts the time in on the field and in the film room

Aaron Donald puts as much time in the film room as he does on the field. Donald goes in one to two hours before practice to study film and often stays past practice to do more of the same. A player with physical talent who also knows what he is looking for on the football field is a deadly combination.

The Rams need to find a solution to Donald’s  holdout quickly because the Rams front office does not want to have their best player go into free agency next winter

Sources: NFL.com, theramswire.com, kcal9.com

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