Aaron Donald is already a lock for the Hall of Fame. He could retire tomorrow and make it to Canton as a first-ballot selection in 2028. Not only is he a nine-time Pro Bowler, seven-time first-team All-Pro and Super Bowl champion, but he’s done something only Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt have accomplished: win Defensive Player of the Year three times.
But if you ask Taylor where Donald ranks among the best defenders of all time, he wouldn’t put the Rams superstar in the top five. Taylor said on the “i am athlete” podcast that he would “absolutely” put Donald in the conversation as the best defender ever, but he then proceeded to give his top five – sans Donald and with himself as No. 1.
“Reggie White, Deacon Jones. If you’re calling all positions, yeah, I gotta put (Deion Sanders) up there, too. Of course, Deion Sanders. Probably No. 4. I like Ronnie Lott. I think Ronnie Lott is a hell of a player,” Taylor said.
Taylor wasn’t throwing shade at Donald or saying he isn’t one of the best players ever. He just believes there have been five players with stronger resumes than him.
It is interesting that he picked Deacon Jones, who probably doesn’t get as much praise and attention as he should. He played before sacks were an official stat, but he was constantly taking down the quarterback.
According to Pro Football Reference’s unofficial stat list, Jones ranks third all-time with 173.5 sacks. That’s more than Donald’s 103 and Taylor’s 142. Only Bruce Smith and Reggie White, who had 200 and 198 sacks, respectively, rank higher on the list than Jones.
Donald plans to play in 2023, so he can still bolster his resume further in the next year – or however long he wants to keep rushing the quarterback. But even without another Pro Bowl or All-Pro season, Donald is up there as an all-time great.
