Aaron Donald making early impact for Rams-- Nick Wagoner

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RamBill

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Aaron Donald making early impact for Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12148/aaron-donald-making-early-impact-for-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- While No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson continues to wait his turn to contribute to the St. Louis Rams, their other first-round pick has jumped out to a strong start despite limited opportunities.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the No. 13 overall pick in May, isn't technically a starter three games into his rookie season but he's making the most of the chances he's been afforded. And a strong argument could be made that Donald's opportunities should increase based on how he's played.

Although Donald has played an average of just 25.3 snaps per game in the first three games, the unofficial statistics the Rams keep based on coaches' review of the film would indicate he's been their most productive defensive lineman. Those reviews have him down for 16 tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss.

Not that the soft-spoken Donald is satisfied with his early efforts.

"The game is faster," Donald said. "I’m getting adjusted to it and getting a little more comfortable out there but to me, football is football. That’s all we can do is go out there and compete. It’s the same thing I have been doing since I was 5, playing the game of football. Going out there when my number is called and trying to make plays."

For now, it seems unlikely that Donald will have his number called much more than he has throughout the first three weeks. He played 50 percent of the defensive snaps in the opener against Minnesota and has been below that in the games against Tampa Bay and Dallas.

The Rams prefer to rotate their defensive linemen as much as possible which has left Donald relegated to working in behind Kendall Langford on the interior. Most of Donald's snaps have so far come on obvious passing downs as his quickness and pass-rush skills make him a natural fit for that role.

Against Dallas, Donald played 19 of his 27 snaps in pass-rush situations. But Donald has been productive against the run, too. For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus has Donald graded as the Rams' best defender in the first three weeks with a grade of 5.9 against the run. That score is second best against the run among defensive tackles in the league according to PFF.

Given the Rams' woes in defending the run, they rank 29th in the league, it would make sense to sprinkle in a handful more snaps for Donald moving forward.

"On pass-rushing downs is usually when I’m going to be in there," Donald said. "But you just rotate. We try to keep each other fresh. When my name is called I’m going to go in there and give it everything I’ve got. Then I come out and he goes back in. That’s the good thing. They are valuable reps and you don’t want to waste none of them so when you are out there, you better be ready to go."
 

DaveFan'51

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On pass-rushing downs is usually when I’m going to be in there," Donald said. "But you just rotate. We try to keep each other fresh. When my name is called I’m going to go in there and give it everything I’ve got. Then I come out and he goes back in. That’s the good thing. They are valuable reps and you don’t want to waste none of them so when you are out there, you better be ready to go."
The Kids got a great attitude. Can't wait to see him on the field more!:D
 

LACHAMP46

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Donald makes me want to see all the draft picks play...at least up til EJ Gaines....I get pretty upset seeing Donald at the nose in the 3 guard set. Since I figured he'd never get double teamed in the pros....sheesh
 

Amitar

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For now, it seems unlikely that Donald will have his number called much more than he has throughout the first three weeks.

The Rams prefer to rotate their defensive linemen as much as possible which has left Donald relegated to working in behind Kendall Langford on the interior.

Against Dallas, Donald played 19 of his 27 snaps in pass-rush situations. But Donald has been productive against the run, too. For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus has Donald graded as the Rams' best defender in the first three weeks with a grade of 5.9 against the run. That score is second best against the run among defensive tackles in the league according to PFF.

Given the Rams' woes in defending the run, they rank 29th in the league, it would make sense to sprinkle in a handful more snaps for Donald moving forward.
Ah No Nick, it would not make sense to sprinkle in a handful more snaps to Donald moving forward. How about starting this guy and playing him a lot more? This is just another example of the _____ (you fill in the verb) way Fisher runs this team and one more reason why the Rams suck so bad right now. What more does a guy have to do get get more playing time on this team?
 

Boston Ram

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Its been fun watching him so far. Look forward to seeing and watching the progress with him. He looks to have a very high ceiling right now.
 

Faceplant

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Gotta wonder why the kid isn't getting more snaps. It is not like the front 7 has been stellar without him in there.
 

RamzFanz

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I suspect we are going to see more of Donald. He's an undeniable talent. You don't want to overwhelm him or play him past his physical conditioning though. Rams have solid choices and the ability to keep people fresh.
 

OnceARam

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So he doesn't play on run downs, yet he is our best run defender. Am I missing something? :censored:
 

jjab360

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So he doesn't play on run downs, yet he is our best run defender. Am I missing something? :censored:
I don't know if he's our best run defender yet, but he's definitely the most noticeable one with how often he penetrates into the backfield.