For the third time in five seasons, the Los Angeles Rams will have a new defensive coordinator in 2021. After Brandon Staley was hired by the Chargers as their new head coach, Sean McVay quickly replaced him with Raheem Morris.
Morris is the third defensive coordinator under McVay, following in the footsteps of Wade Phillips and Staley. Aaron Donald has proved time and time again that he can succeed in any scheme, be it a 3-4 or 4-3, so there are no concerns about his fit in Morris’ system.
He doesn’t expect a whole lot to change with the defense anyway.
After winning his third Defensive Player of the Year award, Donald spoke to media members on Sunday and shared his initial thoughts on playing for Morris.
“I’m pretty sure he’s going to bring his own little twist to the defense,” Donald said. “Overall, I feel like we’re going to have similar things, but at the same time, different things. So just learning a new scheme, trying to see how they want us to play certain stuff. But I’m excited. I hear nothing but great things about him, so I’m definitely pumped up to have the opportunity to work with him.”
Donald was dominant in his one season with Staley coaching the defense, recording 13.5 sacks and a league-high 98 total pressures, per PFF. He won Defensive Player of the Year over T.J. Watt, continuing to perform as the top defensive tackle in the NFL.
Morris has traditionally used 4-3 defenses, but with the Rams expected to keep the base structure of Staley’s defense, a switch from their 3-4 front is unlikely. Regardless of what their base defense looks like, Donald will continue to play 3-technique and line up over the guard most often.
And as long as he stays healthy, Donald will continue to play at an incredibly high level under yet another defensive coordinator.
