Rams' Aaron Donald: One Of the Best Draft Picks Ever

The NFL Draft is the ultimate guessing game with hits and busts made every year no matter what. The Los Angeles Rams have had their fair share of draft selections they have nailed throughout their long franchise history.

However, one of their most consequential was the pick of former Pittsburgh Panthers defensive linemen Aaron Donald in the first-round of the 2014 selection process. Donald was seen as this undersized, yet juiced-up interior linemen who created chaos for opposing blockers in the ACC in 2013 by winning the Nagurski and Bednarik Trophies along with being named an All-American.

Donald went on to become one of the greatest defensive players to ever play the game. An eight-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Donald was insanely dominant and a freak of nature since his rookie season. After the 2023 season, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer hung up his cleats with a Lombardi Trophy in hand from the 2021 season.

Donald represented a competitive era of Rams football that has been reshaped and continued even today all while establishing himself as arguably the greatest defensive tackle of all-time.

ESPN's Ben Solak recently put together a list of the greatest player of all-time from each draft choice in the modern-era seven-round selection process. Donald came in as the greatest No. 13 overall pick of all-time, but had some competition for the spot, according to Solak.

"Donald was actually not the slam dunk that I thought he would be here, as Tony Gonzalez, owner of just about every career tight end production record you can think of, put up a good fight," Solak wrote.

It would be hard to argue against Gonzalez, arguably the greatest to ever play the tight end position. However, as Solak notes, Donald's accolades and historic 2018 season takes the cake in the debate at No. 13 overall.

"As it is, Donald played 10 seasons and made eight first-team All-Pros, which is about as dominant as dominant gets," Solak said. H"is 20.5 sacks in 2018 remain a towering, almost unachievable figure for a defensive tackle."

When the time comes to remember the era of the 2010s, Donald should be among the best of the best, and maybe the best, from this era of football, one that saw the league transform and evolve with unique offenses, defenses, and players alike.