Dan Campbell is glad they won’t have to tirelessly game plan for Aaron Donald this week, but knows the Rams young DL will present its own problems.
For the first time in a decade, the Los Angeles Rams be without future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. The eight-time Defensive Player of the Year opted to retire this offseason, leaving a massive hole along the defensive line that, quite simply, cannot be replaced by one man.
For Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, that’s a major relief. Between his time with the Lions and Saints, Campbell has had to help game plan against Donald six total times. And as he explained during his Monday morning press conference, it’s an exhausting job to account for Donald.
“You needed to know where he was at, at all times, really on all downs,” Campbell said. “It was a constantly—you were shifting and motioning just for him, and you’re damn near doing it every play.”
But the Rams have been proactive in planning for Donald’s exit. Last year they drafted Kobie Turner with a third-round pick, and he rewarded their investment with an impressive 9.0 sacks—most of any NFL rookie in 2023. They doubled down this offseason, drafting edge defender Jared Verse in the first round and defensive tackle Braden Fiske in the second.
“It’s nice not to have to necessarily worry about (Donald), but the guys they have over there are young and hungry, high-motor,” Campbell said. “Man, they’ve got an influx of youth that’s pretty damn talented.”
Detroit, of course, is relatively well-equipped to handle the Rams’ defensive front. Many expect them to have the best offensive line in football, and even with Donald last year, the Rams struggled to generate pressure in the Wild Card game against the Lions. While Jared Goff did take three sacks, the Rams didn’t do much else to disrupt his day. Goff finished 22-of-27 for 277 yards, a touchdown, and a 121.8 passer rating.
Still, every new season presents new surprises. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from Campbell’s first three seasons, he’s going to have the team ready for the Rams’ young defensive front, even if it’s without Donald.
