CINCINNATI -- Small in stature for a defensive tackle when he came out of the University of Georgia, the 6-foot-1, 300-pound Geno Atkins went mostly overlooked ahead of the 2010 NFL draft.
Most said he was too short. Others didn't think he was heavy enough to push through the line of scrimmage with the physicality professional football required. Others criticized the way he walked, saying his unique wide-footed gait was a sign he wouldn't have the explosion to routinely get to quarterbacks at this level.
Six seasons and 39 sacks later, the fourth-round pick of Cincinnati Bengals has made those critical of his physical makeup regret their words. His play also has helped open doors for other similarly-built defensive tackles, allowing them to prove how valuable talented players at that position can be -- regardless their size.
Just ask Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams, a 2014 first-round pick whose high selection likely stemmed in part from Atkins' success.
"You could say that," said Donald, who is listed at 6-1, 285. "Just from what he did, being an undersized guy and what he did in this league before I got here."
Although the linemen won't be going against one another head-to-head Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium, they should both cause headaches for the opposing offenses.
"Look at it this way," Bengals offensive guard Kevin Zeitler said of Donald. "He does everything well. I haven't really seen anything that he doesn't do well. There was a reason he was an All-Pro right off the bat."
As for Atkins, Donald added this about him: "You always see him in the backfield disruptive in some type of way. ... That's what our job is, and he does a great job of doing that."
With 7.0 sacks each, Donald and Atkins lead all defensive tackles. That also puts them in a tie for sixth among all defensive players who have sacks.
Donald has long respected Atkins. It was during his junior year at Pitt (2012) when Donald began paying close attention to the Bengals lineman. At the time, Atkins was in the middle of a banner third season that ended with him posting a career-high 12.5 sacks.
"I was just trying to learn," Donald said. "That's what you try to do with good football players; not copy them, but try to learn from some of the best that do it."
It's clear the Bengals believe Donald already is among the best playing his position.
"He has an ability to win in one-on-one matchups," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "When you get a defensive tackle like that, just like the kid down in Tampa [Gerald McCoy], it does give the rest of your [defense] more opportunity."
Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth credited Atkins' knack for drawing extra attention from offensive linemen as a way Cincinnati's edge rushers can have more one-on-one opportunities when they go after quarterbacks. It's the same with Donald, Whitworth said.
"When Geno comes in, teams can't double the outside guys anymore, so our outside guys have to have great seasons when Geno is in there, because you're always getting an opportunity to be one-on-one with the tackle. That really presents a problem when you have a guy like Geno in the middle," Whitworth said. "For them, it's the same thing. Aaron Donald is so good it makes teams have to triple the inside and leave all three guys in there."
In turn, sack chances develop for St. Louis' edge rushers like Robert Quinn, just like Atkins' presence has the same effect for Cincinnati ends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson.