Aaron Donald is already the best defensive lineman ever

[Deac]

AD faces more blocking than any of the other gents we talk about, but fun fact, Deacon Jones once had 26 sacks(not an NFL stat yet) in a 14 Game Season! That is crazy!

 

[Mojo Ram]

Donald does it without Cocaine.

I'm an old school type of fan and am also old enough to remember LT and RW wrecking offenses, but sadly your point has some validity to it IMO.

Players today aren't running around juiced and ganked on stimulants and who knows what else like it was back in the day.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Todays players are high on social media.

 

[OldSchool]

Todays players are high on social media.

High on their brand I think is how they’d say it.

 

[hotanez]

Love the play of AD but there was a man called The Deacon
train

How many sacks did Deacon Jones have?
173.5 sacks

According to research by pro football historian John Turney, Jones amassed 173.5 sacks during his NFL career. That total would rank today as third most behind Bruce Smith (200) and Reggie White (198).

Don't want to take away anything from Deacon because he was an all time great but that whole line was freaking awesome. Donald does what he does with very little help. Donald is one of a kind

 

[badnews]

Don't want to take away anything from Deacon because he was an all time great but that whole line was freaking awesome. Donald does what he does with very little help. Donald is one of a kind

He's the Fearsome Onesome.

No disrespect intended for Brockers and Co, but Donald is in a league of his own.

 

[Merlin]

Bruce Smith was the greatest DL ever to my eye. But he was also an end. And Lawrence Taylor was a rush OLB, not fair to make that comp and IMO he was more dominant in his window because of being on the edge.

I think AD probably is the best 3T ever. At the very least he's in the conversation. And btw in this defense he's playing a lot more disciplined, often standing the OL up and I suspect playing 2 gap at times. So I find that very interesting what with his fast start and all.

Another thing to consider with his strong start is the relatively ignored NTs we have doing a good job on the inside. Both SJD and Gaines have been making plays, i.e. disrupting shit inside. The weakest point on our DL is basically Brock, and he's not a bad lineman by any measure.

Moving forward IF they can get that ROLB spot producing watch out. This might be a season to remember, even for a guy whose seasons are all to be remembered.

 

[Merlin]

I'm an old school type of fan and am also old enough to remember LT and RW wrecking offenses, but sadly your point has some validity to it IMO.

Players today aren't running around juiced and ganked on stimulants and who knows what else like it was back in the day.

I think that's an interesting discussion on its own. Today's players do benefit from a ton of advances in doping. Now I don't think AD dopes with roids or anything, but I do think fortunes rise and fall every season in part due to all that.

 

[Tano]

AD faces more blocking than any of the other gents we talk about, but fun fact, Deacon Jones once had 26 sacks(not an NFL stat yet) in a 14 Game Season! That is crazy!

I don't want to take anything away from Deacon since he was one of the best DE in the history of football, but Deacon did have the advantage of the head slap. If Donald had the advantage of a head slap, I think Deacon's unofficial sack record of 26 in a season would be in jeopardy (by a defensive tackle no less).

 

[Loyal]

Bruce Smith was the greatest DL ever to my eye. But he was also an end. And Lawrence Taylor was a rush OLB, not fair to make that comp and IMO he was more dominant in his window because of being on the edge.

I think AD probably is the best 3T ever. At the very least he's in the conversation. And btw in this defense he's playing a lot more disciplined, often standing the OL up and I suspect playing 2 gap at times. So I find that very interesting what with his fast start and all.

Another thing to consider with his strong start is the relatively ignored NTs we have doing a good job on the inside. Both SJD and Gaines have been making plays, i.e. disrupting shit inside. The weakest point on our DL is basically Brock, and he's not a bad lineman by any measure.

Moving forward IF they can get that ROLB spot producing watch out. This might be a season to remember, even for a guy whose seasons are all to be remembered.

Bruce Smith homer

 

[Loyal]

"Bruce Smith? We pity the fools that think Aaron Freakin' Donald isn't the best!" @Merlin

 

[Loyal]

AD has 7.5 sacks in 5 games, At this pace, he's on track to get 23 sacks this year!

SONOFA! ~ Bruce Smith

 

[TexasRam]

Knock on wood. If AD can go 12-15 years he will go down as the best player of all time.

None of the great pass rushers faced 70% double teams and consistent triple teams.

Edge rushers might get a token RB as a second blocker to beat. Beating two and three lineman is a whole different ballgame.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I'm an old school type of fan and am also old enough to remember LT and RW wrecking offenses, but sadly your point has some validity to it IMO.

Players today aren't running around juiced and ganked on stimulants and who knows what else like it was back in the day.

Even Mean Joe was jacked on roids when many teams did not use them.

Plus Reggie White was a 4/3 DE mostly and LT was an OLB wasn’t he? Neither was a 3/4 DE which is essentially a DT. The closest comparison would be Randle or Sapp who both played inside in a 4/3.

But even having any comparison at all to RW, LT or Strahan who all played a position with traditionally high sack is impressive in and of itself

 

[Florida_Ram]

 

[nighttrain]

what both AD and the Deacon have in common, talent , determination, and Horns on their helmets
train

 

[CGI_Ram]

View: https://twitter.com/espnstatsinfo/status/1315369614361194496?s=21

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

i thought AD got 4 sacks yesterday.

.

 

[badnews]

.

i thought AD got 4 sacks yesterday.

.

The game wasn't over yet maybe

 

[Loyal]

.

i thought AD got 4 sacks yesterday.

.

He did as far as I know, unless they adjusted it...ESPN says he has 7.5 sacks after 5 games.