The Rams had another productive season on defense with one of the most feared front sevens in the NFL. The Rams were able to put together a great defense thanks to the NFL Draft, specifically the Robert Griffin III trade in 2012, where they used three of their first five picks on defense.

The Rams continued to add to their defense in the 2014 draft as they selected defensive tackle Aaron Donald with the 13th overall pick. At the University of Pittsburgh, Donald was a dominant force with 59 total tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a senior. He continued that same type of production in his first two seasons in St. Louis as he has wreaked havoc on opposing teams offensive lines and establishing himself as the league’s new prototype at defensive tackle.

What do I mean when I say new prototype at defensive tackle? When you think about the defensive tackle position, you think of run stoppers, not quick and athletic. Donald breaks the old stereotype of defensive tackles as he has a quick first step and causes disruption in the opposing teams’ backfield, when matched up one-on-one against an offensive lineman.

In 2014, playing next to Michael Brockers, who the Rams drafted in the first round in 2012, Donald had a fantastic season playing in all 16 games (starting in 12), while compiling 47 total tackles, and nine sacks. Donald’s great rookie season earned him AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, while only playing 67.1 percent of defensive snaps.

Then this past offseason, the Rams added to their defensive line by signing defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who played next to another good defensive tackle with the Lions in Ndamukong Suh. So coming into this season, Donald knew he had to capitalize off his rookie season and take his game to another level. This season, he did that as he finished with 69 total tackles and 11 sacks. His 11 sacks ranked him eighth in the NFL and third among defensive tackles. New York Jets defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson and Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins Geno Atkins both led the way with 12 sacks.

If you take a deeper look into the numbers, Wilkerson played 89.3 percent of defensive snaps, while Donald played 78.9 percent of defensive snaps and Atkins played 72.4 percent of defensive snaps. From his rookie year to this year, Donald’s production got better as he played more snaps and he almost had the same amount of sacks but doing it with less snaps.

Now, if we go back to the 2014 NFL Draft, none of the other defensive tackles selected in the first three rounds have put up the same type of numbers as Donald. Instead, Donald has put himself in another stratosphere among the best defensive tackles in the NFL such as the Philadelphia Eagles’ Fletcher Cox, Tampa Buccaneers’ Gerald McCoy, Suh and the aforementioned Wilkerson. 

The way Donald has dominated with his quick first step and versatility has made him the new prototype at defensive tackle. Suh was thought to be the new prototype and game changer when he stepped foot into the NFL. He was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out Nebraska and touted as a force at his size (6-foot-4, 307 lbs.) moving the way he does with violence and physicality.

In his first two years in Detroit, Suh had 14 sacks, including 10 as a rookie. In 2010, as a rookie, he was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Even though, Donald and Suh are two different types of defensive tackles, they have made the same type of impact. 

But now let’s compare Donald to Gerald McCoy, who the Buccaneers drafted with the third overall pick in 2010 draft, right after Suh. In his first two years, McCoy only had four sacks but has gotten progressively better the last three seasons with 26.5 sacks. McCoy has been a late bloomer but is still an effective defensive tackle. This season, he helped improve the Bucs’ run defense to 13th in the NFL only giving up 100.4 yards per game.

What about comparing Donald to Fletcher Cox, who the Eagles drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. In Cox’s first two seasons, he only had 8.5 sacks. But the last two seasons, he has played at an All-Pro level, fitting the mold of McCoy, getting better as their careers go along. 

All in all, Donald is off to a fantastic start but the question is how will it progress going forward? Will his production decrease as teams’ game plan for him or will he continue to get better like Cox, McCoy and Wilkerson? If Donald’s career progresses like Cox, McCoy and Wilkerson, then he will have more Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances and be a stalwart on a Rams defensive line that already has Chris Long and Robert Quinn manning the defensive ends.