Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is in the midst of establishing himself as one of the greatest to ever play this game.
Donald provided a stark reminder of his dominance by securing his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in four seasons. So it should come as no surprise to see his status replicated in the virtual world with EA Sports’ Madden 22.
Donald has become a mainstay in the video games’ annual Madden 99 club over the last four years. It appears that has not changed going into the 2021 NFL season.
Madden once again welcomed Donald to this exclusive club for the fifth consecutive year:
Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 5️⃣ for @AaronDonald97!!
Welcome to the #99Club | #Madden22 pic.twitter.com/VQhNxeUQmb
— Madden NFL 22 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 27, 2021
Donald’s unparalleled blend of power and speed has made him a nightmare for opponents both on and off the field. Donald understandably topped the list when it came to attributes such as strength (99) and power moves (99). However, it was the secondary traits like the 99 awareness and blazing 82 speed that helped him secure the flawless rating.
The seven-time Pro Bowler has provided countless examples of using his monstrous strength to overwhelm the opposition. However, this does not take away from the fact that he also boasts one of the quickest first-steps in the league and this was clearly reflected in the game.
Checking in behind Donald on the list of interior linemen is Philadelphia Eagles’ star Fletcher Cox at 94 overall. Meanwhile, Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner and Cameron Heyward round out the top-5 with 92 overall ratings.
With the rankings being revealed by position, the only other player to garner a 99 overall rating is Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. It will be interesting to see if there are more new faces like Adams added to the mix when the game releases Aug. 20 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
