Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time first-team All-Pro, is retiring. Donald, who turns 33 in May, has been rumored to be considering retirement in recent seasons, but this is a player retiring while he is still at the top of the league at his position.
Donald will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame with no questions asked, but the best question after his retirement may be whether he is the best defensive tackle to ever play in the NFL. I think the answer is yes. The only argument is whether you prefer the longevity of someone like Hall of Famer Alan Page, who played in the league for 15 seasons for the Vikings and Bears instead of 10 like Donald.
Making historical comparisons for Donald can be difficult because many of the other great interior defensive linemen played before the era of advanced statistics. There are no pressure counts or Pro Football Focus grades for players like Warren Sapp and Cortez Kennedy. We don't even have reliable tackle numbers for pre-1990s players like Page and Cowboys Hall of Famer Bob Lilly. However, as far as we know, no defensive tackle ever had a 10-year peak like Donald enjoyed with the Rams.
Only two other players have won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times: JJ Watt and Lawrence Taylor. Only two other defensive linemen made the Associated Press All-Pro team eight times: Reggie White and Bruce Smith. Other defensive linemen who played longer made more Pro Bowls than Donald, but none of them were named to the Pro Bowl in every season he played. Only Donald and Barry Sanders played at least 10 seasons in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl in each.
Donald's 20.5 sacks in 2018 are the most by a player primarily at defensive tackle since 1982, when individual sack counting officially began. Donald's career total of 111 sacks is second among defensive tackles behind John Randle's 137.5 in 14 NFL seasons.
A good historical indicator of a player's value is Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value metric. Donald's total of 153 AV is tied for third among players listed as defensive tackles, behind Page and Merlin Olsen. But remember, Donald played 10 seasons, while Page and Olsen played 15. Their average of 15.3 AV per year is easily No. 1, with Page in second place at 13.1.
Here's a look at the top interior defensive linemen by AV by season. I've included players like Smith and Watt, who were arguably pass rushers but played defensive end in a 3-4 alignment, which is what Donald played for part of his Rams career. They're still coming after Donald.
Donald emerges victorious, having been named first-team All-Pro once again in 2023. He once again led all defensive tackles with a 19.9% pass-rush win rate last season and added another eight sacks to the total of his career. Donald probably would have had two or three more great seasons left when he leaves the game.
Whether it's the stats or especially the praise from those who watched him each year, Donald is the best to ever play his position in the NFL. He will be sorely missed, except by NFL quarterbacks and offensive linemen.
