NFL franchise Los Angeles Rams and their fans have happy memories from the first time they saw a rookie DT Aaron Donald during the 2014 NFL Combine. If there is a combination that scouts search for among prospects, it is strength and speed. It was a mold of qualities that Donald met perfectly. During his combine workouts, the future Rams DT showed everybody that despite having a slight demeanor (285 pounds), he has an elite level of athleticism.

Entering the Combine, he was recognized as the best prospect from his position, and his performances only confirmed the legitimacy of him being the real deal. He ranked fifth among defensive linemen for his 4.68-second 40-yard dash.

He also showed immense strength by completing 35 bench press reps and was second-best among defensive linemen.

The 2014 NFL Combine though was spectacular wouldn’t have made any NFL fan convince any Rams fan how good Donald would end up becoming. His potential Hall of Fame career consists of winning a Super Bowl LVI ring, 8-time Pro Bowl selection, 7-time All-Pro selection, and becoming a 3-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Aaron Donald’s journey to the Super Bowl title

While gauging how good Donald was during the NFL Combine, he put up numbers similar to his teammate and Super Bowl LVI MVP WR Cooper Kupp. Despite the difference in size and athleticism between them, their numbers were surprisingly similar with marginal differences in drills. It is a rare occurrence when two different players record such similar numbers and explains Donald’s freakish athletic abilities.

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Donald showed great explosiveness at the line of scrimmage and was a player who was versatile in all positions of the defensive line during his time with the University of Pittsburgh. The future Rams DT also led the nation with 28.5 tackles for loss and ranked fourth in the ACC with 11 sacks in 2014.

The numbers appear unreal for football-watching fans because he is an interior defender who doesn’t often go straight to the backfield to make plays.

Donald was the perfect pass-rushing player from the 2014 class and a nightmare for NFL QBs, the day he started playing in the league. The scouts did predict him to be a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. It was the Los Angeles Rams franchise who snapped him up. The rest is history as the Rams DT would make one of the biggest plays of his professional career to win his first Super Bowl title.

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