Aaron Donald News

Aaron Donald

29-Year-Old Defensive EndDE

Los Angeles Rams

2019 Defense Stats

TCKL

SACKS

12.5

INT

2020 Defense Projections

TCKL

SACKS

INT

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2020 Fantasy Outlook

Donald is likely the most feared defender in the NFL, though as a defensive tackle he has a more difficult path to IDP production than the typical defensive end. It's a testament to his inimitable talent that he places this high anyway, and it was only two years ago that he totaled 59 tackles and 20.5 sacks. It would be particularly good for Donald's IDP purposes if the Rams offense could bounce back to its 2018 level, but if it can't then he might not have quite as many pass-rushing opportunities as he did in his 20-sack season. Still, Donald is a lock for 900 or more snaps if he stays healthy, meaning he could offset any decline in sacks with an uptick of tackle production in run defense if teams throw less against the Rams. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

IDP

Bye Week 9

Height 6'1"

Weight 280

DOB 5/23/1991

College Pittsburgh

Drafted 1st Rd 2014 #13 Overall

Turns in another dominant season

DELos Angeles Rams

January 3, 2020

Donald finished the 2019 campaign with 48 tackles (29 solo) and 12.5 sacks.

ANALYSIS
Repeating his 20.5 sacks from the 2018 campaign was unlikely, so while Donald did drop significantly to just 12.5 this season, that mark still ranked seventh in the NFL. Additionally, the attention opposing offenses paid to slowing down Donald allowed teammate Dante Fowler Jr. to record 11.5 sacks of his own. Duplicating his 2019 numbers would line Donald up for another excellent fantasy season, but it's not out of the question to expect him to end up somewhere in the middle of his production over the past two years.

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NFL Stats

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2019

2018

2017

2016

2019 NFL Game Log

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2018 NFL Game Log

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2017 NFL Game Log

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2016 NFL Game Log

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Rams 2019 DE Snap Distribution See more data like this

A.Aaron Donald

M.Michael Brockers

M.Morgan Fox

% of Team Snaps

940

779

356

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#1 RDE

Rams

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2019 Aaron Donald Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Aaron Donald's measurables compare to other defensive ends?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

6' 1"

Weight

280 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.68 sec

Shuttle Time

4.39 sec

Cone Drill

7.11 sec

Vertical Jump

32.0 in

Broad Jump

116 in

Bench Press

35 reps

Hand Length

9.88 in

Arm Length

32.63 in

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Donald is pretty much beyond words. The glory days of pass-rushing defensive tackles have been gone for about 20 years now, and even in those days Warren Sapp and John Randle still never approached 20 sacks, which Donald managed to do on 916 snaps last year. It seems like an unsustainable sack rate, but much of what Donald does is supposed to be impossible, and yearly improvement has been a consistent theme with him. Expect some regression, but it's probably best to give Donald the benefit of the doubt until his production more obviously stabilizes.

If IDP utility perfectly correlated to real-life value, Donald might have been top-ranked among defenders generally, let alone linemen. Donald is a cannonball on the interior, blasting out of his stance at a velocity blockers can't prepare for and at a center of gravity they can't reach. With Ndamukong Suh around, offenses are left with a cruel lose-lose situation – offensive game plans would mean to double-team players like Donald and Suh on nearly every play, but there just isn't a reliable way to do that now. With 11 sacks on just 790 snaps last year, Donald could go wild in 2018.

Donald is expected to play nose tackle in Wade Phillips' new 3-4 defense this year, but that's not a concern, as Donald is a unique talent whose skill set should translate to standout production almost anywhere in the front seven. Moreover, Phillips coaches a one-gap scheme that will give Donald the green light for shooting gaps like he always has. If anything, Phillips should be expected to bring out the most in Donald, who's averaged 55 tackles and 9.5 sacks in his already remarkable three-year career. It helps that all of his NFC West opponents ranked top eight for sacks allowed last year.

For Donald to affect games the way he does as an undersized defensive tackle is remarkable, and he's definitely one of this generation's most uniquely great players. Listed at just 6-foot-1, 285 pounds but with sub-4.7 speed, Donald already has 19 sacks and 38 tackles for loss to his credit in 32 career games, so it's clear that double-teams just don't matter much to him. Not much should change in 2016, but things could actually get a bit better if Robert Quinn returns to full form. Running away from Quinn and running into Donald may be loosely synonymous.

Donald became an instant star after entering the starting lineup Week 6, earning Defensive Rookie of the Years honors as one of the league's most explosive linemen. A consistent tackler, Donald's pass rush improved late in the year with six sacks in the last seven games. His nine sacks were the most by a rookie in three years and second among defensive tackles last season. He also had 18 tackles for loss (2nd among DT, 4th among DL). Those numbers could take a jump this year with more snaps — he should see at least 800 this season after playing only 705 snaps last year.

Although Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford are the incumbent starters, Donald is going to see plenty of game time after being drafted 13th. Donald was a menace to offenses in college and with so much defensive line talent in St. Louis, he doesn't have the immense pressure of starting right off the bat.

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