Houston Texans running back David Johnson has seen plenty of Aaron Donald.
Prior to joining the Texans in 2020, Johnson was a member of the Arizona Cardinals from 2015-19, and was in the same division as Donald, who has been with the Rams organization since they drafted him in Round 1 in 2014. Whether it was in St. Louis or Los Angeles, Johnson had to rush against the eventual three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In order to be effective against Donald, the Texans will need to double and maybe triple team the 6-1, 280-pound defensive lineman.
“Get as many bodies on him as possible, get as many guys blocking him as possible,” Johnson said. “He’s a disruptor, for sure. I played against him twice a year back in Arizona. I think the biggest thing is you never know what you’re going to expect with him. He’s so fast. He’s shorter, so he’s quicker, and his center of gravity is really good. I think the biggest thing is just trying to get as many guys blocking him, or in front of him, or disrupting him, trying to confuse him as much as possible.”
None of Johnson’s seven career games of 100-plus rushing yards have come against the Rams.
On the season, Donald has generated 29 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble through all seven starts.
