3 reasons why LA Rams Aaron Donald leads NFL in 2020 QB sacks

Reason 2: Don’t underestimate A’Shawn Robinson’s impact

The best thing to happen for Aaron Donald’s career may very well be adding defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson as his teammate. Most of the fans who seem to comment so far on articles discussing Robinson as a new LA Rams’ player seem to begin and end at his statistics sheet, and specifically his personal sack totals.

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But in a 3-4 defense, the biggest and strongest guy in the defensive line is not supposed to get the most sacks. Instead, they are the players responsible for “containment”. They create the pocket and then slowly collapse it into the quarterback. That pocket is designed defensively to ensure the quarterback does not escape on foot, rushing for a first down at the expense of defenders who have turned their back to the offense and are chasing receivers downfield. To sum it up, A’Shawn Robinson did what he was supposed to do.

What will Robinson do to help Donald? Well, for starters, he is likely the strongest teammate Aaron Donald has ever had. Suh is 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds., Robinson is 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. The extra weight is all muscle. That muscle means the Rams have added an “Atlas” to pair up with their All-Pro “Hercules”.  The last time that happened? Suh helped Donald to record over 20 sacks.

A’Shawn is a solid teammate. The perfect compliment for the Rams’ defensive line. He is versatile enough to slide around to any position but strong enough to land the nose tackle role. His power over-center will force offensive lines to turn their guards inward to protect their A-gaps, and allowing Donald to beat single blocks frequently.