As it awaits the start of the 2020 NFL season, ESPN decided to come out with a list of the best player of the last decade for each franchise. Lindsey Thiry has been covering the Los Angeles Rams for a while so she made the selection for them, going with Aaron Donald over Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, Michael Brockers and so many other talented players.
Donald’s career so far with the Rams speaks for itself as he has dominated since the first time he stepped on the field.
Despite all of his accolades, Donald’s hunger for getting better continues to grow and he was recently ranked the No. 1 player in the NFL going into the 2020 season by Pro Football Focus.
Donald’s greatness made him an obvious choice to be named the Rams’ player of the decade, but Thiry explained why she decided to go with him:
A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Donald entered the NFL in 2014 when the Rams drafted him with the 13th overall pick. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after he posted nine sacks and 18 tackles for a loss. In six seasons, Donald has 72.5 sacks, and in 2018 he set the NFL record for sacks by an interior lineman with 20.5, helping power the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. A six-time Pro Bowl selection and a five-time All Pro, Donald’s production has earned recognition from players across the league who have not only vouched for his future in the Hall of Fame, but have proclaimed him as arguably the best defensive player in NFL history.
While Gurley is no longer with the Rams, there’s no denying what he was able to accomplish in his few years with the team. Because of that, Thiry recognized him as an honorable mention:
Honorable mention: Todd Gurley, RB, 2015-2019. The NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, Gurley spent five seasons powering the Rams’ offense. Since the Rams selected Gurley with the 10th overall pick in 2015, he has 1,483 touches, which is 125 more than any other NFL player in that time span. In 2018, Gurley scored a league-high 21 touchdowns as he played a significant role in spurring the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. Gurley is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro.
It is good to see two Rams greats from this generation being recognized for their contributions to the organization over the years.
Donald, in particular, has accomplished everything he can in a Rams uniform except winning a Super Bowl, so that will be the last thing to check off his list in the coming years.
