Aaron Donald has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, made the Pro Bowl seven times in seven seasons and has been named a first-team All-Pro six times. He’s well on his way to Canton, surely as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Yet, someone doesn’t think he’s the best interior defender in the NFL. Or the second-best. Or the third-best.
ESPN surveyed more than 50 NFL executives, coaches, scouts and players to rank the 10 best players at each position and unsurprisingly, Donald was the top interior defender once again. It’s the second year in a row Donald has received more first-place votes than every player in the NFL regardless of position.
However, one voter ranked him as low as fourth at his position, meaning that person believes there are three interior defenders better than Donald. The Steelers’ Stephon Tuitt was the only other player to earn a first-place vote, likely from that same voter who put Donald fourth.
Yes, someone voted Donald fourth. That particular voter prioritized youth and upside. But Donald has shown zero signs of slowing down at age 30. His 24.2% pass-rush win rate leads all defensive tackles by a wide margin, and that’s with facing a double-team on 219 of his 314 rushes, the most in the league. Donald created 30 incompletions, second to edge rusher T.J. Watt.
“You’re not stopping him,” an NFC exec said. “[You] just hope to get the ball out fast.”
ESPN didn’t specify whether it was a player, scout, coach or executive who put Donald fourth, but whoever it was, their logic is unfounded. Donald is only two years older than Tuitt, yet he has shown no signs of slowing down. And his upside is winning Defensive Player of the Year again. Tuitt has very little chance of winning that award, so his upside isn’t close to what Donald’s is.
Tuitt is a good player and probably underrated, but there’s a strong case that he’s not even the best defensive lineman on his team, with that title going to Cameron Heyward. Donald is far and away the best interior defensive lineman in football.
“I would put a space between him and all the defensive tackles or edge guys, honestly,” an AFC scout told ESPN. “He’s by himself.”
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