NFL.com: MVP race at quarter mark

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3) Aaron Donald, defensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams: Thanks to the prominence of analytics and the widespread study of game film over the past half-decade, interior defenders of Donald's ilk are finally receiving a modicum of the credit they're due. Leading the NFL with 12 QB hits, Donald has been the best player on the field in every Rams games this season, functioning as the driving force on the NFC West's surprising first-place outfit. Already in J.J. Watt's class a year ago, Donald has been even more disruptive this season, adding end-tackle stunts to his repertoire so he can stalk quarterbacks from the edge as well as the interior.

Like Geno Atkins in Cincinnati, Donald defeats behemoth guards and centers with a unique combination of quickness, leverage and strength. What separates Donald from Atkins and other Pro Bowl talents is unparalleled speed off the snap. That uncanny quickness is enhanced by a swashbuckler's strong but dexterous hands, a relentless array of moves and the ferocious closing speed of an apex predator. With Watt out of the picture, we can sit back and treat ourselves to an epic battle between Miller and Donald for Defensive Player of the Year honors.