No defensive player in the NFL has been better than Aaron Donald the last two years. He’s been borderline unstoppable, racking up 31.5 sacks, 68 quarterback hits and 40 tackles for loss. As a result, he’s won the last two Defensive Player of the Year awards and has a chance to become the first player ever to win it three years in a row.
It’s hard to imagine him getting any better than he was in 2018, but it’s not out of the question. With the benefit of attending his first training camp in three years, Donald could be poised for his best season yet.
He’s in excellent shape and is game-ready, so a slow start should be avoided.
“Being here now, getting to work now and getting myself in football shape now – ain’t gotta come a week before the game trying to get myself in football shape,” he said recently. “So going into the season, I’m in great shape, I’m going to be football-ready. So if anything, this should be my best year yet. So got to keep working, keep working on my technique and play my game.”
Last season, Donald had zero sacks or tackles for loss in the first three weeks. In 2017, he had just one sack in his first three games. He overcame both slow starts, but he’s hoping to avoid a third in 2019.
When asked how he’ll feel if he has zero sacks entering Week 4, Donald said “I’ll be real disappointed.”
This should serve as a warning sign for opposing offensive linemen. Donald is in better shape than he’s been in the last two years, which is bad news for everyone in his way.
