Aaron Donald appreciation thread

[OldSchool]

We all know he’s great but sometimes statitics come along that really put it into perspective. IMO there are plenty of threads that start out as complaining or soon devolve into it so let’s have a thread celebrating a man who is well on his way to GOAT status.


View: https://twitter.com/pff/status/1257777373258436614?s=21


Here we have truly amazing graph. Double teamed 69.1% of snaps and winning 24.3% of those snaps.

 

[hotanez]

He's our best player and it's not even close. He's a bargain at any price.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Stop and smell the roses kind of player. You'll be talking about him forever.

Sweet topic!

 

[CGI_Ram]

And holy crap those pressures!

 

[badnews]

The. Best. Defensive. Player. Of. Our. Era.

And he is a RAM.

 

[dang]

The. Best. Defensive. Player. Of. Our. Era.

And he is a RAM.

another six years of play and he could be crowned best defensive player in NFL history.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

Those pressures are coming right in the QB's face too!

 

[TomMack]

I watched a game in his senior year at Pitt and couldn’t believe what I was watching. The dude was three yards in the backfield and blowing up every play...run or pass. A complete monster but I thought to myself no way that kind of play transfers to the NFL. I mean he was only a 6’0 280 D-tackle.
But man I was glad when the Rams drafted him just to see If it could happen...it did.
Dude‘s a monster. Ask Russell Wilson.

 

[Legatron4]

another six years of play and he could be crowned best defensive player in NFL history.

I think he’s already the best ever. Nobody has ever done what he has on the football field.

 

[Loyal]

I think he’s already the best ever. Nobody has ever done what he has on the football field.

I think so too. He is a HOFer RIGHT NOW.

 

[TomMack]

I was thinking today who the best ever Ram is ..forever I thought hands down its Eric Dickerson. I think today I’ve changed my mind. As far as his life story, talent, effort, what he means to the team its AD.
I might buy my first ever jersey with another mans name on the back and it will be a Rams #99. Or #65.

 

[Reddog99]

Aaron Donald is easily my all time favorite Ram/player. Hes the most exciting player to watch when he's on the field. An absolute monster. I love watching him wreck QBs (specifically Wilson) and im looking forward to seeing him toss Brady around when we play Tampa. Hes a legend in the making.

 

[Loyal]

I love me some Aaron Donald now, but don't you forget Merlin Olsen.

*Played 15 years in the NFL, for the Los Angeles Rams
*1961 Outland Trophy Winner (Best DT in college football)
* 1962 Rookie of the Year
*Graduated in 1962 with degree in finance, summa cum laude.
*14 consecutive Pro Bowls, except for his last year
*5 times All Pro
*NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
*NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
*NFL 1960's All-Decade Team
*NFL 1970's All-Decade Team

*Merlin, you better smash the shyte out of that Thread Winner button! @Merlin

 

[FarNorth]

We all know he’s great but sometimes statitics come along that really put it into perspective. IMO there are plenty of threads that start out as complaining or soon devolve into it so let’s have a thread celebrating a man who is well on his way to GOAT status.


View: https://twitter.com/pff/status/1257777373258436614?s=21


Here we have truly amazing graph. Double teamed 69.1% of snaps and winning 24.3% of those snaps.

Great post and thread!! Appreciate greatness not handwringing!

My view of AD is not just in terms of his extraordinary play but how much he contributes to the Rams. No other player brings such an advantage on his defense. It's not just his own plays, but forcing the offense to adjust, every single down, to try to control him and still not coming close.

Imo you can't win championships without at least a few great players. As long as the Rams continue to field a capable team around Donald they will be in the hunt for the division, the NFC, and the Super Bowl. AD is the window.

 

[Ram65]

AD is the man. I'm looking forward to what he will do in the new defense.

 

[Young Ram]

I love me some Aaron Donald now, but don't you forget Merlin Olsen.

*Played 15 years in the NFL, for the Los Angeles Rams
*1961 Outland Trophy Winner (Best DT in college football)
* 1962 Rookie of the Year
*Graduated in 1962 with degree in finance, summa cum laude.
*14 consecutive Pro Bowls, except for his last year
*5 times All Pro
*NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
*NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
*NFL 1960's All-Decade Team
*NFL 1970's All-Decade Team

*Merlin, you better smash the shyte out of that Thread Winner button! @Merlin

As great as Olsen was he was never DPOY. Donald is 2x DPOY and already has 5x all pro. And guess what? He ain’t done yet.

 

[Loyal]

As great as Olsen was he was never DPOY. Donald is 2x DPOY and already has 5x all pro. And guess what? He ain’t done yet.

I hear you and agree. But there is so much that Merlin accomplished that AD most likely will accomplish, but not yet! Play for the Rams for 15 years, AD!

 

[jap]

As great as Olsen was he was never DPOY. Donald is 2x DPOY and already has 5x all pro. And guess what? He ain’t done yet.

It would have been almost impossible for Merlin to win DPOY honors. That award tends to go to players that have accumulated gaudy Showtime! stats (e;g, high figures for sacks, interceptions, etc.) Merlin and Aaron played|play different roles. Merlin was the super stud DT who constantly attracted 2-3 blockers because he was so disruptive. He made it so much easier for his fellow DLine-mates to get 1-1 blocking assignments. He is the main reason why Deacon Jones was such an elite sack master. His role is simply NOT a glamorous one at all.

Aaron initially drew easier blocking assignments because Michael Brockers was asked to play the Merlin Olsen super stud DT|NT role. As head coaches & offensive coordinators witnessed Aaron wrecking their schemes with his electric first steps and his tremendous leverage advantage, he started drawing two blockers in efforts to control him. Someone got the not-so-bright idea to move Brockers to DE. It wasn't too bad in 2018 with Ndamukang Suh manning the NT role, although he [i.e., Suh] was not as dominant as he could have been. With Suh moving on for the 2019 season, the double team blocking Aaron constantly drew ballooned to triple- and quadruple-team blocking with no dominant NT on the DL. If A'Shawn Robinson steps up in his role as NT, things will be much easier for Aaron this upcoming season..

 

[tempests]

His role is simply NOT a glamorous one at all.

At least it wasn't until Merlin started playing it. He was named the most valuable lineman in the league in 1973 and the league's most valuable player in 1974.

Something he and Aaron have in common. Neither play(ed) a glamorous position, they turned it into one. And because of them, people had to shed their previous expectations, had to reconsider what was possible.

 

[Selassie I]

And not only did he do this from the defensive tackle position... a position where stats like these have NEVER been accumulated before. He did it while being double and triple teamed on damn near every play.