Aaron Donald is a scheme-proof player, proving he can have success in just about any defense at any position up front. He primarily plays 3-technique on the defensive line, but he’s also lined up over the center and slid outside to defensive end, and had remarkable success in both a 4-3 and 3-4 scheme.
He’ll be challenged once again in 2020 with his third defensive coordinator in the NFL, as Brandon Staley will replace Wade Phillips with the Rams. Los Angeles will most likely keep its 3-4 defense, but there will obviously be changes with a new coach at the helm.
Donald has talked to Staley already and spoke with Sean McVay when the hire was made, and he’s excited about the ideas he’s going to bring to the defense.
“I talked to him a little, not that much yet,” Donald told Rams Wire on Friday. “I talked to McVay a little bit about it. I’m excited from just talking to him to see what he’s going to bring to the defense and the things he’s going to do to free certain guys up to go out there and try to have success so we can win games. Part of this league is change and I’m just excited to see what he brings and what he can do.”
Staley has only coached in the NFL for three years, all as an outside linebackers coach (two years with the Bears and one with the Broncos). The transition to defensive coordinator will be new for him, but he reportedly aced his interview with McVay, so the head coach has confidence in the 37-year-old in his new role.
Donald is thankful to have had the chance to play for Phillips, and he’s going to miss the legendary defensive coordinator in Los Angeles.
“He’s a great coach. Learned a lot from him, he’s been coaching for a long time and having success,” Donald said. “Having an opportunity to play for him was great, we’re going to miss the swagger and the confidence he brought to the defense. He gave us a lot of opportunities to do a lot of different things and to be a successful defense, so definitely going to miss him.”
Phillips called Donald a “surefire Hall of Famer,” which is high praise from a man who’s coached the likes of Reggie White, Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and J.J. Watt.
Hearing that from Phillips only motivates Donald to be even better.
“He’s one of the best defensive coordinators to do it. And like you said, he coached a lot of great players, so to hear that from him, that means a lot. It just motivates you to keep working and try to live up to it,” Donald said.