Aaron Donald – 2021 Dynasty IDP #2 Defensive Tackle
#99 Aaron Donald, LAR
bio:
Dynasty IDP Aaron Donald is IDPE’s #2 dynasty Defensive Tackle in 2021. LAR Defensive Lineman (DL) drafted in the 1st round (#13 overall) out of Pittsburgh in the 2014 draft. Unanimous All-American in 2013, Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, 6-time first-team All-Pro and 3-time Defensive Player of the Year.
attributes:
A wrecking ball 8th-year defensive lineman, he is a bit undersized but an elite athlete. Donald has an above-average College Prospect Score (CPS), though there were some inputs into the model that was unavailable and would likely have increased his CPS.
| Age* | Height | Weight | 40 | Bench | CPS |
| 30.3 | 6’1″ | 285 | 4.68 | 35 | 4.7 |
player grades:
Donald graded out as the #1 interior defender out of 125 qualified players in 2020, per PFF.com. He graded out as the #1 run defender and pass rusher in 2020. He has been the best interior defender for years.
| Year | Overall | Run Defense | Pass Rush |
| 2016 | 92.6 | 87.5 | 93.3 |
| 2017 | 94.0 | 85.7 | 93.7 |
| 2018 | 95.3 | 92.4 | 94.3 |
| 2019 | 93.6 | 90.2 | 92.8 |
| 2020 | 94.5 | 90.4 | 93.6 |
injury:
Has not missed a game since 2017.
tackles:
Donald has broken at least 40 combined tackles every year he has been in the league (adjusted for games missed). Therefore, he has a solid floor in fantasy leagues in which he has DT eligibility.
| Year | SOLO | AST | COMBINED | A4GM* |
| 2018 | 41 | 18 | 59 | 59 |
| 2019 | 29 | 19 | 48 | 48 |
| 2020 | 27 | 18 | 45 | 45 |
big plays:
He has broken double-digit sacks in 5 of his 7 years in the league and has never had less than 8 sacks. He also posts elite STF and FF stats. The consistency of his big plays raises his floor even further and gives him elite upside in fantasy.
| Year | SACK | STF | INT | PD | FF | FR |
| 2018 | 20.5 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2019 | 12.5 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 | 13.5 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
contract:
Donald signed a 6 year, $135 mil contract in 2019. LAR has a potential out before the 2022 season. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the age of 34 in 2025.
summary:
Dynasty IDP Aaron Donald is elite both in real life and in fantasy. The only knock against him is his age. Expect him to compete for the #1 DT in 2021. His age will likely cause his dynasty rank to drop in 2022, so if your team is not a contender this year it might be a good idea to trade him.
