NFL Network's Brian Baldinger breaks down what makes Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald the most valuable defensive player through the first 8 weeks.
As the centerpiece of the defense on the NFL's last undefeated team, defensive tackle and tour de force Aaron Donald's impact goes beyond statistics.
However, the Los Angeles Rams All-Pro's numbers are borderline unbelievable.
It's amazing enough that Donald leads the NFL with 10.0 sacks as an interior lineman. All the more amazing, though, is that Donald has been double-teamed on 70 percent of the snaps he's played, according to Next Gen Stats.
Watch every one of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald's sacks from Week 7 when he faced the San Francisco 49ers. Donald finished with four sacks on the day.
"Yes, he's awesome," Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said, per the team's official site. "I've had a lot of great ones and he's another one in that top echelon. Like I said, he's special in that it's just so hard to do inside. People don't -- like you said, he is double-teamed a lot. Even they brought the back on him also. He's overcome a lot of things to be as good as he is and he's a tremendous player. I can't say enough good things about him. And he's a great guy, great guy to coach. They asked me when I came in here, 'Well is he going to be able to play a 3-4?' Yeah, I think he can."
Donald, the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, was last year's AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seems as though a back-to-back honor is nearing a given.
He's gaining steam, tallying six sacks over his last two games.
"I'm just playing, I don't even worry about it," Donald said. "I'm just going out there and doing my job, so whatever it is -- if it's a hard slide protection, if it's a double team, or even a triple team or a chip -- whatever it is, I'm just finding ways to win, so that's about it."