Aaron Donald was a huge reason for the Los Angeles Rams’ success last season, absolutely dominating from his defensive tackle position. He led the NFL in sacks (20.5), tackles for loss (25) and quarterback hits (41), putting relentless pressure on opposing QBs up the middle.
He was at his best when the game was on the line, too. In the fourth quarter, Donald was almost unstoppable and helped the Rams close out games – like in their wins over the Seahawks, Chiefs and Lions in consecutive weeks, recording at least two sacks in each game. Pro Football Focus measured just how good each player was in the fourth quarter of one-score games with a clutch grade.
Unsurprisingly, Donald made PFF’s all-clutch team with a grade of 92.3, the best of any defensive tackle.
If there is an NFL list of any kind, it’s a safe bet to pencil in Donald at interior defender. The guy is a one-man wrecking crew in the passing game, as his absurd 25.1% pass-rush win rate in clutch time can attest. No other interior defender with 50 or more pass-rushing snaps came within 4% of that rate.
The Rams often had leads in the fourth quarter, which meant opponents were forced to drop back and pass frequently. That allows the Rams to unleash Donald in obvious passing situations, which is why he was so good in the fourth quarter.
If that continues in 2019 – which it should – Donald is going to be relentless in the final 15 minutes again.
