Is Aaron Donald already a HOFer?

[Kiwibrown]

If they win the Superbowl this year and he has a huge impact he may be able to retuire and go to the HOf. Otherwisenot ye, two-three years of this high level of play and ertainly. 

he has he advantage  being a unique player in his field, there are not many other Aaron Donalds running around. 

[Forge]

13 minutes ago, stl4life07 said:

How is it outlandish??? So he isnt having an HOF career?  What more does he have to prove? PFF is already saying that he is having the best season of his career and thats hard considering last season was his best season of his career. Like I find it funny how people can crown QBs like Kaep, Dak, Watson, Mahomes, and Jimmy G as the greatest when they only had 16 starts or less at the time people crown them BUT I crown Donald 4yrs into his career when he is topping every season he has played and is above everyone at his position by leaps and bounds not just currently but in the conversation of all-time at his position but its outlandish. I respect your opinion and everyone else but when I see someone that I deem as special I put it out there. Just like at Georgia I said Gurley is going to be special and I said the Rams are going to draft him at 10 and every Rams fan though I was crazy. Well not only was I right, but Gurley has shown to be special. Like its not hard to see talent, know what you are looking at and call it like you see it. I see HOF for Donald right now and I am bold enough to say it while others or hesitant but then turn around and say Jimmy G is great only after what 10 starts.

That's fine...but that doesn't mean that the people who are saying it's too soon to put him there don't know football. You can feel strongly about your opinion without denigrating another's. What it takes to be a hall of famer is not the same for everyone. People should be entitled to their own opinion on what constitutes a hall of famer and not beholden to your views on the matter without having their knowledge or acumen questioned, especially in a manner as subjective as what a hall of famer is. 

[stl4life07]

14 minutes ago, I <3 Faulk said:

Please tell me you're like 15.

 

I can't fault a child for having the crazy opinions that you do, or for saying the outlandish things

According to you though I need to stop watching the draft because when people say players like G Quenton Nelson has a gold jacket in his future, they must be 15yrs old because if Donald doesnt have it 4yrs years into an historical career so far then no way Nelson has it when he wasnt even playing a down yet. So why bother scouting and being the best in the business to be bold enough to say that about a prospect when that person must be 15yrs old to even think about it even when it comes down to Donald who has been dominant from day one and is only getting better. So yeah what do I know lol.

[RandyMossIsBoss]

Hypothetically speaking (career ends today)? Maaaybe. 4 1/2 seasons of all time great play at the DT position. It'd be a tough call for sure. I would lean towards yes.

 

Practically speaking? Yes, there is no way he doesn't get into Canton unless he is one of the very rare players that is dealt an injury so severe they literally cannot continue playing.

[CKSteeler]

He's John Randle. Randle did it much longer and still didn't get in on the first ballot. I barely know why I'm responding to this thread.

He's played in very few big games. If he stops right now, casual fans wouldn't even remember his name 5 years from now if they even know it now. Defensive players have to have far superior resumes compared to their offensive counterparts.

[stl4life07]

32 minutes ago, Forge said:

That's fine...but that doesn't mean that the people who are saying it's too soon to put him there don't know football. You can feel strongly about your opinion without denigrating another's. 

I wasnt trying to put nobody down. I was just saying that in a society that is quick to say Mahomes or Jimmy G is great after less than a season worth of starts is hesitant to say Donald is a HOF'er after 4yrs of dominance. I just said it in short. And look I like Mahomes and I think Jimmy G has the chance to be great too. But Im not going to say that they are great only after 10 starts or less. Heck I didnt even do that with Donald right away. I thought Donald was really good but I still was higher on Quinn at the time. It wasnt till Quinn got hurt and missed time and Donald had the spotlight to himself where I saw him dominate that I was like wow this guy is better than I thought. What he is doing from the defensive tackle position, NOBODY SHOULD BE DOING. For him to have a career year last year which was historic to now on pace to have an even better year is mind-blowing. This isnt a 1yr year guy who is having an amazing start to his career where teams havent had time to really figure him out. This is a guy who teams had years to figure him out. They KNOW he is coming and still cant do anything about it. He has the stats to back it up. Right now he is on pace for a little over 18 sacks from the defensive tackle position. You have to go back to 2000 to find the last time a defensive tackle had that many. La'Rio Glover had 17. 1997 John Randle had 15.5. 1988 Reggie White 18. 1987 Reggie White had 21. But its not just about sacks, its about pressures and tackles for loss. Tackles for loss is just like a sack because its a negative play. Pressures are just as effective as a sack because it makes the QB make bad decisions because they are in a hurry. Donald has been historically one of if not the best at that in a very long time at the position. He is durable, so as much I like Watt and think if Watt can stay healthy he eventually will be a HOF'er as well, Donald is more dependable because he is on the field every game day. But again I didnt mean to put nobody down when I said if others dont believe he is then they dont know football. I am just saying the way society is quick to crown someone who isnt worthy, why not crown someone who has the body work compared to those that people are crowning right now as the greatest. 

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Hard for a player to get into the Hall of Fame via the shooting star effect. It's too soon for Donald. I've heard Terrell Davis cited, but what helped him was two Super Bowls and the most dominant stretch of playoff performances for a runningback ever. Also a league, and Super Bowl MVP. That was essentially the perfect storm, and it still took him a while. 

Keith Millard was at a similar area before he got hurt, and had to stop playing. Or Jerome Brown before he was killed. They will never be considered. 

[stl4life07]

1 minute ago, CKSteeler said:

He's John Randle. Randle did it much longer and still didn't get in on the first ballot. I barely know why I'm responding to this thread.

He's played in very few big games. If he stops right now, casual fans wouldn't even remember his name 5 years from now if they even know it now. Defensive players have to have far superior resumes compared to their offensive counterparts.

The casual fan wont remember Donald because he doesnt carry the household name like Watt does. Just like Thielen is playing like the best receiver in football from the start of last season till now BUT people tend to still say guys like AB, Julio, Hopkins, OBJ, and Green because they have bigger names. Thielen is on pace to break the all-time record for receptions in a single season and could even break the all-time record for receiving yards in a single season. The casual fan wouldnt know it years later because again he doesnt carry the big name plus he isnt putting himself out there. He let his game do all of his talking. 

[Chargers]

31 minutes ago, CKSteeler said:

He's John Randle. Randle did it much longer and still didn't get in on the first ballot. I barely know why I'm responding to this thread.

He's played in very few big games. If he stops right now, casual fans wouldn't even remember his name 5 years from now if they even know it now. Defensive players have to have far superior resumes compared to their offensive counterparts.

This. No chance gets in now. Sacks have to factor in but if he wins a SB for LA he's a shoo-in

[Nabbs4u]

No! On a very good pace, Yes!

[TENINCH]

Poor man's John Randle.

[footbull3196]

4 hours ago, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

I don't think so. 

This.  The only guy who's gotten in the HOF with a peak this short was Terrell Davis.  And he won 2 championships and was the main driving force behind both of them

Donald is absolutely on a HOF pace if he keeps on this tear.  But he hasn't even been in the league 5 seasons.  People need to not live in the moment so much on this one.  If he had a career ending injury tomorrow, nobody would say he was actually a HOF'er, people would just say he was a guy that could have been a HOF'er if he hadnt gotten hurt

[El Ramster]

  @footbull3196 don't put that evil on us.

[TheKillerNacho]

There's no way he gets in the HOF if he retires today. Having said that, he's certainly going to be there someday.

[Riftty]

He definitely takes over games and is a huge factor to the Rams success this year. If they win the Superbowl and he makes some big plays in the playoffs that will help his case.

 

This brings me to a question I wanna put fourth. I really haven't paid much attention to the DT position as a hole. I know of Sapp and John Handle, but other than that I have no idea who the top DTs in NFL history are. So who are some big names at the position and where does Donald rank?