The Los Angeles Rams will enter the upcoming campaign without their greatest defensive player in franchise history.
Aaron Donald might even have a case for being their greatest player overall, and there’s no such thing as replacing a guy like him.
Nonetheless, the Rams have proven that they’re great at finding and developing talent in the latter rounds of the NFL Draft, so they could get the benefit of the doubt.
With that in mind, HC Sean McVay admitted that the team is currently working around the clock to try and fill the void that Donald left, adding that the NFL Draft is going to be huge for them (via Around the NFL):
“We are trying to add guys as we speak. The draft will be big,” McVay told Steve Wyche. “You have a vision of how you want it to unfold but there are 31 other teams that always have a say. I think once we get our players in place [defensive coordinator Chris] Shula and his defensive staff have done a great job of setting the foundation, but you are not naïve to the fact that you are replacing this guy.”
Rams HC Sean McVay to @wyche89 on trying to fill void after Aaron Donald’s retirement: “We are trying to add guys as we speak. The draft will be big”https://t.co/P8kmkb0nIg pic.twitter.com/in3mIkiTgC
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 25, 2024
Donald was the most impactful and dominant defensive player in the NFL for a long time.
He forced opposing teams to game-plan exclusively for and against him, yet he still continued to find ways to disrupt everything around him and put up big numbers.
Donald was still a force to be reckoned with last season, and it seemed like he wasn’t going to walk away from the game just yet.
Then again, he did win absolutely everything that a defensive player could ever strive for, including multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Needless to say, the Rams will have a tough time finding someone who can make half of the impact he made at the line of scrimmage.
Still, this team is sneaky and will continue to be competitive for as long as Coach McVay is out there calling the shots.
NEXT:
Sean McVay Opens Up About Aaron Donald’s Retirement