Rams legend Jack Youngblood: Aaron Donald 'fits in with the best of us'
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
Jack Youngblood is up there as one of the greatest players in Rams history. His best days came when sacks weren’t yet an official stat, and when they did become a metric in 1982, Youngblood was 32 years old.
Yet in his final two seasons in the NFL, he had 10.5 sacks and 9.5 sacks at the age of 33 and 34, respectively. Considering he played 14 seasons, he likely would’ve pushed for more than 150 career sacks.
That’s a number Aaron Donald would love to reach, and he’s well on his way. With 81 sacks in just 6.5 seasons, he could easily eclipse 150, which would put him in the top five all-time. Youngblood has watched Donald throughout his career and he says No. 99 is up there with the best to ever suit up for the Rams, alongside himself, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones.
“Yes he is (special). He can play on my team any time,” Youngblood told Morten Andersen on the Great Dane Nation podcast. “And he’s a good guy, at the same time. I hear that all the time. He carries himself well, and he does. He fits in with the best of us, that’s for sure.”
Donald is averaging 0.78 sacks per game in his career. If he averages that number for even another 80 games, which is the equivalent of five seasons, he’ll add 63 sacks to his total of 81.
He’s already established himself as one of the best defensive tackles ever, and if he continues on his current trajectory, Donald could become the greatest of all time to play the position.
With how many great defensive linemen have suited up for the Rams, Donald has already established himself as the latest to join that coveted group.
