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Aaron Donald is not Lawrence Taylor, but he is as close as it gets

By Sravan Gannavarapu

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates following Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates following Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Donald is a terrifying presence for any NFL Offense to deal with, just like Lawrence Taylor was. But Donald is not Taylor. 

We just saw in Super Bowl LVI the kind of terror that Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams is. To the eye, it’s as feared and dominant as the great Lawrence Taylor.

So much so that a legitimate argument can be made that Donald, not Cooper Kupp, should have been the game’s MVP. But Kupp’s performance did warrant the award, as did his remarkable journey, so Donald will likely let Kupp have his moment with an authentic and classy smile.

But here’s where it gets dicey. There are now comparisons being made between Donald and Taylor, and let it be clear. If those two individuals were on the same team at this very moment, nobody would be beating them.

But Donald is not Lawrence Taylor. He’s in the echelon now of being one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history as a Super Bowl champion, but he’s not LT level just yet.

This is bound to spark outcry, so let’s keep this vanilla for the time being. In 1981, the Giants already had an excellent linebacker core when Lawrence Taylor was drafted. Taylor made it better than ever. When the Rams took Aaron Donald in 2014, they already had Robert Quinn on the front line. Like Taylor, Donald also made the Rams a better team, at least defensively.

Moreover, every time he got to the Super Bowl, Taylor walked away with championship hardware. Donald, keep in mind, walked off the field at a Super Bowl in defeat. Does that diminish him? No, it does not.

Aaron Donald is one of the greatest defensive players in the league and history, but he is not Lawrence Taylor.

Is Aaron Donald the best defensive player in the game today? Yes. Is he a Hall of Famer? Yes. Would he be taken in an NFL Draft No.1 today if all the players in the league were up for grabs? Yes, he would.

So why is it wrong to compare him to Lawrence Taylor? It’s not wrong, but it involves context. Taylor was an edge rusher and a reason why offensive tackles are heavily valued. Donald is an interior terror, which is still terrifying. Frankly, if you were to say Donald is the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history, you would have very valid points and a robust case.

But the title of the greatest defensive player ever still belongs to Taylor, and to be completely honest, who wouldn’t want Donald on their team? He’s a wonderful human being and one of the greatest players that the NFL has ever seen.

A classy individual who is a happy man off the field and a terror on the field. But he’s not Lawrence Taylor. That’s not a slight, but if you ask who is the closest thing to Taylor, Donald gets that vote, and his resume speaks for itself, along with a new Super Bowl ring as part of his collection. You can’t go wrong with both, but Taylor is 1A and Donald is 1B for now.

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