Aaron Donald may have missed all of training camp and the first game of the season, but he hasn’t missed a beat since returning to the Rams’ lineup.  Not only does he lead all interior defenders in quarterback pressures, but he’s generating more heat than several teams across the NFL. 

On Sunday alone, Donald pressured the quarterback a whopping 10 times – the second week in a row he’s reached that number.  Mike Cahill of Pro Football Focus pointed out that Donald had as many pressures as the Chargers and Chiefs combined on Sunday, which is eye-popping. 

QB Pressures WK6:

Donald-10

TB-10

DET-9

JAX-8

NYJ-7

LAC-5

KC-5 Donald = 2 teams' worth of pressures in week 6 — Mike Cahill (@FB_Cahill) October 16, 2017

Donald recorded one sack, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble against the Jaguars, proving to once again be a dominant force on the inside.  Wade Phillips has had fun moving Donald around on the defensive line, plugging him in at both nose tackle and defensive end. 

His ability to not only clog up running lanes, but pressure the quarterback, makes him a versatile weapon that impacts the game in a variety of ways.  That’s part of what makes him better than every other interior defender. 

If he continues to dominate the way he has through five games, the Rams aren’t going to be able to afford Donald.  Actually, they will, but his asking price is only being driven up with each passing game.