EARTH CITY, Mo. -- While No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson continues to wait his turn to contribute to the St. Louis Rams, their other first-round pick has jumped out to a strong start despite limited opportunities.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the No. 13 overall pick in May, isn't technically a starter three games into his rookie season but he's making the most of the chances he's been afforded. And a strong argument could be made that Donald's opportunities should increase based on how he's played.
Although Donald has played an average of just 25.3 snaps per game in the first three games, the unofficial statistics the Rams keep based on coaches' review of the film would indicate he's been their most productive defensive lineman. Those reviews have him down for 16 tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss.
Not that the soft-spoken Donald is satisfied with his early efforts.
"The game is faster," Donald said. "I’m getting adjusted to it and getting a little more comfortable out there but to me, football is football. That’s all we can do is go out there and compete. It’s the same thing I have been doing since I was 5, playing the game of football. Going out there when my number is called and trying to make plays."
For now, it seems unlikely that Donald will have his number called much more than he has throughout the first three weeks. He played 50 percent of the defensive snaps in the opener against Minnesota and has been below that in the games against Tampa Bay and Dallas.
The Rams prefer to rotate their defensive linemen as much as possible which has left Donald relegated to working in behind Kendall Langford on the interior. Most of Donald's snaps have so far come on obvious passing downs as his quickness and pass-rush skills make him a natural fit for that role.
Against Dallas, Donald played 19 of his 27 snaps in pass-rush situations. But Donald has been productive against the run, too. For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus has Donald graded as the Rams' best defender in the first three weeks with a grade of 5.9 against the run. That score is second best against the run among defensive tackles in the league according to PFF.
Given the Rams' woes in defending the run, they rank 29th in the league, it would make sense to sprinkle in a handful more snaps for Donald moving forward.
"On pass-rushing downs is usually when I’m going to be in there," Donald said. "But you just rotate. We try to keep each other fresh. When my name is called I’m going to go in there and give it everything I’ve got. Then I come out and he goes back in. That’s the good thing. They are valuable reps and you don’t want to waste none of them so when you are out there, you better be ready to go."