PFF Says Rams' Most Underrated Player Is ... Aaron Donald?
Aaron Donald has already solidified himself as arguably one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. Winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards, becoming the Rams all-time sacks leader, receiving seven All-Pro selections, and winning a Super Bowl in February to top it all off tends to guarantee a player in the conversation for the Hall of Fame.
And yet, is Donald still considered "underrated"? PFF seems to think so.
Ezra Shaw, Getty Images
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) celebrates after a pressure in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) celebrates in the fourth quarter during the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The site released its list of most underrated player on all 32 teams Thursday and listed Donald, who might be LA's best player, as its most underrated. Here's what PFF had to say:
Yes, you read that right. No matter how good you believe Donald to be, chances are the data says he’s better. Donald is redefining pass rushing from an interior alignment. Edge rushers generate significantly more pressure than their interior counterparts. They may have further to travel to get the pressure, but they have more space to work with and much more of their rush takes place out of the quarterback’s field of vision. Donald doesn’t just rival any edge rusher in the league for pressure, he exceeds them all. Over the past three seasons, Donald leads all pass-rushers in pressures by 32 from the next best mark. He has a pass-rush win rate of 23.2%, which is also the best mark in the league. Donald is the best pass-rusher the NFL has seen over the past 16 seasons of PFF grading and is in another world compared to any player at his position.
Jeffrey Becker, USA TODAY
Donald is a physical force that strikes fear into the hearts of almost every quarterback and offensive lineman he comes across, making it difficult to label him as "underrated."
Still, maybe the label implies that Donald could be even better this season, which is hard to imagine. Last season, the 30-year-old played in all 17 games, tallying 84 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and four passes defended.
His return to the Rams following brief retirement speculation only bolsters the team's chances at repeat titles. And if he truly is "underrated," then the 2022-2023 season should seem like a cakewalk for the superstar compared to a season ago.
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