Aaron Donald is #3 in Sacks After First Seven Years

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Mackeyser

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I do think he moved around a bit but yes. Comparing him and Donald is a great reminder of what a badass the Minister was.

But I also think Donald is gonna age well. He's super fit and will handle age better IMO. So stay tuned and we'll see where the chips fall but I expect by the time he's done he'll hold every sack and pressure record for an interior DL.

It wouldn’t surprise me if as AD’s career goes on if he doesn’t do the opposite of White and move outside more and more. His physicality will hold up for a really long time.
 

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Reggie White lined up at LDE most of his career. On the Eagles Jerome Brown played RDT, so White was next to Pitts or Golic.

In 1986 his 2nd year in the NFL Reggie lined up at nose guard in Buddy's 46 defense and LDE when they switched to the 4-3 and got 18 sacks.

On the Memphis Showboats of the USFL he also played LDE. Occasionally he got moved around the line.
 

Merlin

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I was under the impression he played a shit ton of DT in Green Bay. But obviously my memory is shit.
 

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I was under the impression he played a shit ton of DT in Green Bay. But obviously my memory is shit.
It's ok Merlin, White is pretty good, but not everyone can be Aaron Freakin' Donald..
 

fanotodd

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No disrespect to the great players on that list, but after watching 99 do his thing, I think edge rushers get some “free stats” that an interior DL just doesn’t see—missed assignments or overloads to one side that can leave the edge rusher completely unblocked. Trying to run the play away from a player and not blocking him can also create an unimpeded opportunity to make a play.
...and using a RB or TE one on one?

When does Donald ever get any of these freebies?
Singled up on one OL is as “easy” as it ever gets for him.
 

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I was under the impression he played a shit ton of DT in Green Bay. But obviously my memory is shit.

Nothing wrong with your memory Ram Bro, at least not in this case. Reggie started at LDE in his career, but in the course of a game they moved him into the DT spot on occasion to create an unbalance.

Another thing about Donald to add. We have never seen 1 OL beat him regularly in a game. But back in the day even the great Reggie had his hands full 1 on 1 with Slater and Jacoby. Youngblood would have great battles vs Yary, Dierdorf, and Rayfield Wright (Cowboys). Deacon and the Packer's Forrest Gregg would butt heads one on one too with very little if any double team help. Every one had their single nemesis on the other side where they would win-lose throughout a game.

But Donald... have we ever seen plays of one lineman neutralizing him more than once? I'm sure there are some that got in his way, but finding one guy vs Aaron, especially in these days of free agency and player movement, is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But then Donald is moved around a lot more than these other defenders too.

Youngblood filp-flopped with Dryer in his 2nd year under Prothro and sometimes lined up on the right with Dryer on left. But from 1973 on he was strictly a LDE.