Next Gen Stats: Aaron Donald not among Top-5 NFL disruptors

Well, waddya know. The statisticians at NFL Next Gen Stats has finally invented, er, discovered a statistic for defensive pass rushers where LA Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald is not the number one ranked player. I suppose that’s okay because NFL offenses already seem to dedicate two or three offensive linemen to block Donald as is.  If Donald wins any more awards, I’m not sure that number doesn’t increase to four blockers.

I have to give proper kudos to the folks at NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats. It must have taken quite a bit of number crunching to get results from an NFL statistic where Donald falls out of the Top-5. It seems that they have calculated a formula for quarterback disruptions, which is the combined total of hurries, pressures, or sacks, with only one counting per play. While they do not admit it, the fact that their statistic is a percentage suggests that it is a rate, or simply divided by the number of pass-plays that the defender has faced.

Another glaring omission from this statistic is obvious.  We know that some defenders, i.e. Aaron Donald, but get his production despite facing double or even triple teams. We know that Donald gets more multi-blockers than any other NFL player. That simply is what it is.|

Los Angeles Rams

So where does Donald fall on the list of Top NFL disruptors? They have him ranked sixth overall. He is ranked behind only one NFC player, New Orleans Trey Hendrickson. The other four? Two Pittsburgh Steelers, one Cleveland Brown, and one Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher. For the full list, you just need to click on the Link Here.

Don’t worry. A statistic like this is a great conversation piece, but it doesn’t change the way the NFL insiders view Aaron Donald, nor does it suddenly change the way NFL offenses will plan to counter the LA Rams defense.

The timing of this latest report by Around the NFL writer Nick Shook could not have been better.  We know that All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald recently turned 30 years old.  We also know that he is at the top of his game. So how does a man who seems to have no equal find the extra incentive to push himself even harder? Well, reading a report where he does not make it into the NFL’s Top-5 is certainly one way to make him sit up and notice.

Training camp is just getting started for NFL teams. LA Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald has been placed on notice: Here are five NFL players who are better at something. Now grab some popcorn, sit back and relax. Let’s see how long Aaron Donald remains out of the Top-5 this year?