this summer’s Donald praise

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  • July 12, 2023 at 10:01 pm #144572
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    July 12, 2023 at 10:03 pm #144573
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    July 12, 2023 at 10:08 pm #144576
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    From Execs, coaches, players rank NFL’s top 10 defensive tackles for 2023

    Jeremy Fowler

    https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/37773468/ranking-nfl-top-10-defensive-tackles-2023-execs-coaches-players-pick-best-interior-pass-rushers-run-stoppers

    NFL training camps are fast approaching, which means it is again time for the league’s true insiders to have their say. As part of ESPN’s 2023 NFL season preview, we surveyed league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between. This is the fourth edition of these rankings, and as usual, several players have moved up or fallen off last year’s lists.

    By way of refresher, here’s how our process works: Voters give us their best 10 players at a position, then we compile the results and rank candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, more than 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. We had several ties, so we broke them with the help of additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed.

    Each section includes quotes and nuggets from the voters on every ranked player — even the honorable mentions. The objective is to identify the best players right now for 2023. This is not a five-year projection or a career achievement award. Who are the best players today? Check out who makes the list at every position on ESPN+.

    Let’s look at some of the game’s top interior defenders as ranked by execs, coaches, scouts and players around the NFL.

    1. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

    Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 3
    Age: 32 | Last year’s ranking: 1

    Most evaluators still consider Donald the best, but his hold on the rankings is not as strong as in previous years.

    The field is gaining steam as Donald approaches his 10th NFL season.

    Last season was the first since Donald’s rookie year in which he didn’t push for first-team All-Pro or Defensive Player of the Year. A high ankle sprain played a part, causing Donald to miss a career-high six games.

    “I would say a slight decline — not much, he’s still the best,” a high-ranking NFL scout said. “Some of that is a byproduct of what’s around him — neither side of the ball was as good for the Rams last year.”

    Donald has faced 1,797 double-teams since 2017, 152 more than anyone else in the defensive field. Yet he still leads all defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate during that span (26%).

    “[In] certain matchups he still affects the game better than anyone — going against linemen who are big but don’t have quickness,” the scout said.

    July 13, 2023 at 1:43 am #144578
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    from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2023/07/12/rams-aaron-donald-thomas-brown-greatness-coaching-staff/?taid=64aea5358cb4af00018702ce&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

    Thomas Brown is finally getting an opportunity to be an offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers after spending the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue recently released an intriguing podcast series called “The Playcallers” and in the third episode, Brown recounts his first impressions of Aaron Donald.

    “I remember I was a coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes. They would ask us to give advice to our future pro guys on what to prepare and how to prepare, what to expect at the next level,” Brown said. “So they go on and on about Aaron Donald and his process, him being relentless, and how great he is. And in my mind, I’m like, ‘I’ve been around first-round defensive linemen before and he’s good, but he can’t be that good.’ I played with Geno Atkins, you mentioned Charles (Johnson) before, I’ve played with some big-time dudes, I’ve played with David Pollack, and I’ve seen elite players before.”

    “So I get there in 2020, first offseason, so I’m sitting in our staff meeting and we’re working on the offense. And Sean (McVay) keeps going on about AD and I’m like, ‘Man, this is crazy, everyone keeps talking about this dude like he’s unstoppable.’ I’m a doubter, not going to lie, I was a doubter. As you mention, some of these battles because obviously, Brandon (Staley) and I came in together during 2020 in training camp. I heard about how good the offensive line was and the success we had, and every day in practice, this dude is unblockable. He’s making every play and so I go back to Sean and say, ‘Listen, y’all undersold this cat. He’s better than everyone said he was.’”

    July 16, 2023 at 6:41 pm #144601
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    …

    [link above]

    Watt was recently on the podcast of a former Rams defensive lineman, Chris Long, and talked about how important Phillips was to his success and compared his role to that of Donald’s in the same system.

    “Well I can tell you the play the place you want to play is in a Wade Phillips defense, because Wade Phillips is the best. I mean you just look at the players that he’s coached over his career and what he’s been able to do and I mean you look at Aaron Donald obviously played in his defense for a few years there as well. And he did a very, very similar thing, we both played that four technique in base and then we would either play a three or five. It would go basically anywhere on third down and I think that’s what Wade is really, really good at. He plays a lot of man coverage, he has a lot of guys tightened up behind you so that you get that extra quarter second, that extra half second, but he also lets you roam free up front and he’ll send five a lot of times so that you do catch more one-on-ones than you normally would.

    He lets you play and after you prove to him that you’re capable of doing it, then he gives you the freedom and he’ll put you over the right guys, he’ll get you in the right situations to try and create those one-on-one matchups and I don’t think that myself, AD, or anybody who’s ever played for Wade would say we did it by ourselves. We did it because we had a great coach that also put us in great position.”

     

    July 18, 2023 at 11:24 am #144612
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    July 25, 2023 at 12:18 pm #144640
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    August 1, 2023 at 3:49 am #144686
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    from PFF,

    The 50 best players in the NFL right now

    https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff50-ranking-50-best-players-2023

    2. DI AARON DONALD, LOS ANGELES RAMS

    Reports of Donald’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. For the first time in his NFL career, he dealt with a significant injury, limiting him to just 11 games. Despite that, he still finished 2022 with a 90.5 PFF grade and 40 total pressures. When you turn on the tape, you see him also the total focus of the opposing offense, dedicating an absurd amount of extra attention to him or simply trying to eliminate him as a factor with play calls of quick passing or moving pockets. Last year was maybe the worst season we have seen from Donald in the NFL, and it was still elite.

     

    August 2, 2023 at 11:18 am #144698
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    August 2, 2023 at 2:46 pm #144700
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    August 9, 2023 at 7:21 pm #144800
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    August 18, 2023 at 3:57 pm #144938
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