Even when Aaron Donald has a down year, he’s better than every other defender in the NFL.
At least, that’s the sentiment provided by Pro Football Focus this year. According to PFF, Donald is on pace to have his lowest-graded season in four years. Yet, he’s still the highest-graded defender in the NFL this season with a grade of 93.0.
It’s a perfect example of Donald still being the best when he’s at his worst (in the last four years). The fact that he’s on pace to have a lower grade than usual is a different discussion, considering he has 11 sacks in 12 games and leads the NFL with 71 pressures, but he remains the best defensive player in football.
Aaron Donald is on pace for his lowest graded season in 4 years
He's still the highest-graded defender in the NFL (93.0) 🐐 pic.twitter.com/E794DMeRCG
— PFF (@PFF) December 9, 2020
Donald is constantly being double- and triple-teamed by opposing offensive linemen, with teams doing everything they can to slow down the two-time Defensive Player of the Year. It’s a logical plan, too.
He has the ability to completely wreck an offensive game plan with his quick penetration and relentless motor. Even when he’s not getting to the quarterback or slipping into the backfield, he’s creating opportunities for his teammates along the defensive front.
Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley shed some light on Donald’s impact this week, putting into perspective how much he affects what L.A. does on that side of the ball.
Aaron is at the center of everything. He is truly in the middle of the defense and I think that that’s where he’s unique,” he said. “He can impact the game on every snap. It’s the one position on the field that you can’t avoid. So, him being in the middle of things gives us an advantage. Then his versatility gives us an advantage because he can move around within the formation in our defensive front, whether that’s in our run front or in our pass-rush front. I think that flexibility allows, not only for us to create more opportunities for him, but also create more opportunities for others and how that really helps us play complementary ball, like we want to be playing.”
Donald is among the favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year for a third time this season, though he’s not thinking about that. He’s focused on winning games and a Super Bowl rather than individual accolades.
