Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been named Defensive Player of the Year by Pro Football Focus for his efforts in the 2019 NFL season.
Donald set the bar quite high with his historic performance in the 2018 campaign after nearly breaking the single-season sack record as an interior defensive lineman en route to leading the Rams to the Super Bowl. As a result, he became the clear-cut choice to take home his second consecutive NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
He experienced some drop-off this season given his extremely high standards, however, Donald managed to once again solidify himself as the most dominant player at his position with a league-leading 20 tackles for loss, 24 quarterback hits and 12.5 sacks. PFF added that he also led all interior players with 80 pressures in the face of double and triple-teams on a consistent basis.
Donald’s play served as one of the lone bright spots in an underwhelming year for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, it has seemingly been downplayed by both his track record and the lack of attention the team generated with their 9-7 record. As a result, his name has seemingly taken a backseat when it comes to taking home his third consecutive DPOY award.
New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt have now been pegged as the frontrunners for this year’s honor. Although there is no question they each pieced together memorable seasons in their own right, both players had notable weeks where they struggled to make their presence felt whereas Donald’s “off-games” were determined by whether or not he recorded a sack.
Of course, this comes with the nature of playing one of the least glamorous positions in the NFL. PFF is one of the few outlets that highlight the impact that Donald has not just as a pass rusher but in stopping the run and creating opportunities for his teammates with the attention he garners on every play.
Rams fans are hoping that this will go a long way when the time comes to pick the DPOY for this season. Regardless, there is no denying that Donald continues to etch out his place as one of the greatest players in NFL history as he has already been named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro once again this season.
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