Pete Carroll Thrilled to Have 'Pain in the Butt' Aaron Donkor Back With Seahawks
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the aptly-named rookie minicamp primarily serves as a three-day orientation for draft picks, undrafted first-year players, and tryout players. Easing them into the NFL without the presence of veterans, those under contract receive playbooks and take the field with coaches for the first time, receiving more individualized attention than they would in a normal practice setting.
But while coach Pete Carroll and his staff couldn't wait to see first-round pick Charles Cross, second-round pick Ken Walker III, and the rest of the Seahawks nine-player 2022 draft class to kick off Friday's annual minicamp, the three sessions also offer great value to returning players who didn't see game action in 2021.
Among those, German linebacker Aaron Donkor, who joined Seattle last season after being allocated to the organization through the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, hopes the extra reps taken this weekend will help him take a major leap forward in his second season. After spending all of the 2021 campaign developing on the practice squad, Carroll couldn't be happier to have the energetic, hard-working defender back to make another run at a roster spot this fall.
“Well, first off, he’s a pain in the butt because he just won’t let up," Carroll joked when asked about Donkor's progress. "He is such a good competitor, he’s such a good practice player. He wears guys out with his intensity. We’re constantly working with him, but it’s a great problem to have because he just won’t let up."
Entering the NFL with just one season of college football under his belt at Arkansas State, Donkor faced a steep learning curve in a myriad of ways. He had to learn a far more complex playbook and in the process, the Seahawks had him working as both an off-ball linebacker and a strongside linebacker, a significant departure from what he had done in the past as an edge rusher.
As expected, Donkor struggled executing assignments at times getting acclimated to new positions against far superior competition. He missed a few tackles in preseason games and got caught out of position frequently. But as Carroll noted, his mistakes never resulted from lack of effort or intensity, and as the year progressed, he made tremendous strides and gave starters great looks on the practice field.
"He saw the opportunity and he didn’t just hang through it; he went for it and did a great job," Carroll said. "He’s got edge rush ability, he’s a smaller guy, so the matchup is in his favor. He’s a good ball player and I’m happy to have him back.”
Now 27 years old, Donkor once again will be an underdog pursuing a roster spot. With Seattle transitioning to a 3-4 defense, his smaller stature at 240 pounds could be a problem at outside linebacker and while he received a crash course at both spots last year, he has minimal experience playing the WILL and MIKE roles.
But with Bobby Wagner now in Los Angeles, both Ben Burr-Kirven and Jon Rhattigan recovering from torn ACLs, and no linebackers being drafted by the Seahawks, the window has been cracked open for Donkor to have a legitimate shot at sticking around this time. If he's able to show substantial progress at the off-ball positions along with rushing the passer off the edge and makes a name for himself on special teams, he has a fighting chance.
“We’ll try to do as much as we can with him," Carroll said of where Donkor will play. "Now that he has been with us, the more stuff that he can do behind the line of scrimmage will help him just become more of a versatile football player.”
Even if Donkor isn't quite able to get over the hump this summer, Seattle did receive a roster exemption for him for a second straight season, which would allow them to keep him on the practice squad without using one of their 16 slots. If he does make the 53-man roster, that exemption would obviously no longer be in play.
Considering Carroll's comments on how much Donkor helps the Seahawks on the practice field, keeping him in the mix and continuing to develop him should remain a priority. In time, as he takes advantage of all the extra opportunities presented to him, he could be a factor at some point during the 2022 season. And as an added bonus, with the team set to play the Buccaneers in Germany in November, he brings even more versatility to the equation playing the crucial roles of flag bearer and translator.
"It’s the experience of a lifetime for everybody here. As far as Aaron Donkor is concerned, it couldn’t be sweeter. Obviously, he’s going to carry the flag out to open the game. At least he’ll be able to translate for us so, we look forward to it and we’ll try to make the most of it.”
