The Los Angeles Rams are sitting at a brutal 1-2 after three weeks, and you know who’s right in the middle of their defensive struggles? Aaron Donald. Yeah, *that* Aaron Donald, the one who just came back from two years away and skipped all of training camp as he mulled retirement. Expectations aside, the only thing that matters in the NFL is what happens on the field, and for the Rams, it is not looking good. Donald is just as much a part of these struggles as anyone else on that unit.
What’s Happening with Donald’s Pressure?
Let’s just get right into it: out of 91 defensive linemen with enough snaps to qualify, Aaron Donald ranks 79th in terms of pressure rate. Seventy-ninth! His pressure rate is a shocking 4.8%. The guy who used to terrorize quarterbacks is now registering just two pressures out of 42 pass rush snaps, with only 12 other defensive tackles behind him. For a little context, his former Rams teammate A’Shawn Robinson, now with the Bucs, has a similar low pressure rate at 4.5%, but Robinson has 10 stops and a sack, playing in just over half the snaps. Donald, on the other hand, has 22 run defense snaps and just three stops, which are tackles that result in a failed play for the offense. This is not the Aaron Donald we knew.
The Ghastly Ghost of DPOY Past
Remember when Donald was picking up Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018 and 2020? His pressure rates then were 19.2% and 16.4%, respectively. Even in 2023, before his hiatus, he was at 12.9%. We are talking about a massive drop off here. It’s easy for fans to say, “Well, what did you expect after two years off and no training camp?” But honestly, that’s just an excuse. We’re here for results, not explanations for why the results are bad. By some measures, Donald isn’t just an average defensive tackle right now, he’s actually a bad one compared to most starters. And the scariest part for the Rams? They don’t have any in-house upgrades to offset Donald’s snaps if he doesn’t improve. Other defensive tackles like Kobie Turner aren’t helping much either, with the second-worst pressure rate on the defense among DTs at 6.1%. Turner has generated four pressures on 66 pass rush snaps. While he does have an impressive 13 stops on 45 run defense snaps, his pass rush game has been nonexistent so far this year.
This Rams defensive tackle group might just be the worst in the league three weeks in. If Donald can’t find his old form, and with no real internal solutions, this 1-2 start could quickly spiral into a season the Rams would rather forget. They’ve got to find an answer, and fast, because right now, this unit is lacking a presence from pretty much everyone in the room.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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