I have had my share of misses over the years (Bortles, Tavon, etc.). But I was right about AD. This is the scouting report I wrote on him back then:
Aaron Donald Prospect Evaluation
Build
Aaron Donald does not possess a prototypical frame for a NFL Defensive Tackle. He is a short and squatty player that lacks ideal height and weight for the position at 6’1” 285. Donald’s arm length is long relative to his size and is about average for the position at around 32 inches. His hand size is around 10 inches and more than adequate for a Defensive Tackle. Donald has broad shoulders, a thick lower half, and a muscular upper body with very little bad weight. He has a bubble and very thick thighs. There does not appear to be much growth potential on his frame. He should play between 290 and 295 in the NFL after adding weight in a NFL Strength and Conditioning Program.
Pass Rushing
Donald is an exceptional pass rushing prospect for a DT. He has a full repertoire of pass rush moves and knows how to use them. Donald has elite first step acceleration, nimble feet, and anticipates the snap count well. This makes his get off deadly at times. Many teams resorted to doubling him for much of the game because he was such a disruptive pass rusher. Donald showed the ability to setup speed with power and vice versa. His arm-over swim move is his most deadly weapon in his arsenal and he used it to humiliate numerous collegiate offensive linemen. Donald is the best DT in this class at attacking the half man and using his combination of speed and power to fight into the back-field. His hand placement and punch timing are top notch, often allowing him to land the first blow, lock the OL’s arms out, and then control his man with his natural leverage and powerful lower body. Donald also showed the ability to bull-rush his man into the back-field and then beat him back inside with his suddenness or spin move. When bull-rushing, Donald is smart enough to not get out of control and allow the OL to recover. He gets his hands into the OL’s chest-plate, drives him backwards, and continues to push the OL upwards while keeping his feet under him and staying well balanced. Donald also flashes effective rip and club moves. He seems to understand how to attack and beat the man in front of him often keeping the OL on his toes by varying his moves and changing up his attack style. Donald’s full arsenal of moves, powerful lower body, natural leverage, balance, punch timing, hand placement, and violent hands make him nearly impossible for most collegiate OLs to block 1 on 1. Donald is also a relentless pass rusher with a non-stop motor that will get his hands up into passing lanes if he’s stonewalled. However, he has had some issues taking down bigger and/or athletic QBs at times after he beat the man despite his top notch closing speed for a DT. Donald can also be too aggressive on play-action fakes leading him to run himself out of the play. Still, Donald has the potential to be a DT that consistently puts up 8-10+ sacks a year in the NFL.
Run Stopping
Donald is a more effective run stopper than one would expect a guy with his size to be. Donald is very strong in the lower body, anchors quite effectively, uses his natural leverage well, and has a strong upper body with powerful hands. He also has a low center of gravity and top notch balance which makes it difficult to cut him and makes it rare to see Donald off his feet. Donald has excellent lateral agility for a DT with nimble feet that make it difficult for OLs to get across his face and make him effective at moving laterally down the line of scrimmage on zone stretch plays. When Donald is playing disciplined, he has the get off, power, and balance to get into and hold his gap forcing running plays away from their desired location. However, Donald is an aggressive player and can allow run himself out of plays or get too far up-field on running plays while attacking. Donald shows the ability to stack blockers and find the HB when run at. However, due to Donald’s size, he can be engulfed by bigger OLs and taken out of plays by double teams. Donald can also lose his vision when tied up with bigger OLs and struggle to find the football. However, Donald is usually very good at using his hands and lateral agility in order to find a lane to get his eyes into the back-field while still keeping his gap integrity. He is very effective at finding the football while moving laterally. Donald has a very hot motor for a DT and will pursue plays down the field. While Donald will never be Vince Wilfork, he can hold his own 1 on 1 in the running game and should not be a liability. He also has the ability to penetrate the back-field due to his get-off, blow plays up, and pick up tackles for losses.
Intangibles
Donald was very clearly the best player on a Pittsburgh defense that was lacking in talent and often was shouldering the load. He was reportedly an extremely hard worker in the weight room and on the practice field. Donald plays the game with passion and intensity; he did not take plays off and often pursued plays that most DTs would have given up on. He was relentless in the running and passing games. He also played with a competitive fire and a mean streak. There were some moments where he lost his head including getting called for a personal foul in Pittsburgh’s Bowl Game against Bowling Green but those type of mental errors were few and far between. Donald understood how to walk the line between intense and hot-head. Donald seems to be a high character kid that works extremely hard on and off the field. His play, build, and power all reflect those qualities.
Overall
While being far from your prototypical DT, Aaron Donald is an exception to the general rules. Yes, he’s undersized. However, Donald’s play is so dominant that it cannot be overlooked. He consistently showed the ability to be a game changing talent from the DT position and players like that are quite rare. When teams did not double and triple team Donald, he wrecked their game-plan. When they did double and triple team Donald, he still found ways to make an impact. Donald showed the ability to get after the QB from any and every spot on the front four. He has elite physical attributes for the position, impressive technique for a college player, and the perfect mind-set for a player with his sort of size deficiencies. Donald is cut from the same cloth as DTs like Rod Coleman, La’Roi Glover, Geno Atkins, and dare I say John Randle. Once he has adjusted to the pro game and receives pro coaching, Donald will settle in as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers and a guy that pushes double digit sacks seemingly year in and year out. Even more than that, though, he will provide consistent pressure and push up the middle while being able to hold his own in run defense and contribute splash plays. I would take him in the top 10 picks in the draft.
