1. Aaron Donald: Nine have been revealed and one remains. Ever since I started doing this, I’ve had my fair share of defensive players on this list. Some are still going strong and playing today, some have retired, and a few are members of the Hall of Fame. However, this guy here is has been on such a dominant pace and I don’t see him letting up anytime soon. I’m talking about that defensive tackle in Los Angeles for the defending champion Rams. Aaron Donald returns to the top of the mountain! For just the third time ever in the history of this project, a defensive player claims my top spot. Aaron Donald was named number one in 2019 and J.J. Watt was the first defensive player to claim the top spot in 2015.
I think everyone knows how highly I think of this guy. Nobody has been more dominant on the defensive side of the ball like 99 has these last few seasons. He can’t be blocked or slowed down, no matter how you try. I say that because the moment you think you can get big on him, Aaron will just breeze right past you. He can explode into the backfield with a ton of quickness and strength. Aaron gets off the snap of the ball so quickly with that electric first step and manhandles offensive linemen. One thing I don’t get is why teams still elect to block him one-on-one. It just can’t be done. I’ve always said he plays with the mentality of an offensive lineman. Aaron plays with the kill or be killed mentality. In football, coaches preach about playing low at all times and how the lowest man wins. Aaron is always low and that’s why he wins each battle. I’ve never come across a time when teams prepared to play the Rams and Aaron wasn’t the first player circled on the game plan. It’s the power mixed with his technique, his strength, his speed, and quickness that makes him stand out. Aaron has the disruption of an edge guy but he does everything from the interior of the defensive line.
Last August when I was on an episode of the “Sports Cubicle”, I was asked who the five best defensive players were that I’ve had the pleasure of watching in my lifetime. Aaron’s name came up without hesitation and believe me, I’ve seen some all-time greats. He’s on that list. Aaron is a quicker and more electric John Randle. In February, he added to his incredible resume: A Super Bowl ring. What a run he’s been on.
