When you claim Aaron Donald has been the best defensive player in the NFL for the majority of his career, you won’t get much rebuttal from anyone. With the All-Pro interior defender for the Los Angeles Rams in the latter part of his career, The 33rd Team recently mentioned him as a lock to make the Hall of Fame when he retires.
Since being selected 13th overall in the 2014 NFL draft, Donald has terrorized opposing offenses from the interior. Even with career-worst marks in sacks (5), tackles for loss (10), and quarterback hits (11) in 2022 due to a season-ending ankle injury, Donald still has gaudy numbers in his career.
Despite being double- or even triple-teamed on nearly every play, Donald has racked up 103 sacks, 160 tackles for loss, 237 quarterback hits, 24 forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries in his legendary career. Donald is currently 34th all-time in sacks, and if he records only 3.5 more sacks, he’ll crack the top 30 this season.
Along with his stellar production, Donald also has the accolades to guarantee his bid to the Hall of Fame. The Pittsburgh product is a seven-time All-Pro, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and he secured a Super Bowl victory with the Rams in 2021.
Aaron Donald is the surest guy on this list. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time first-team All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, there are no holes in his resume. He’s the platinum bar against whom all others are compared.
Meanwhile, Stafford was named as a potential Hall of Famer by The 33rd Team. The experienced signal-caller was mentioned among the likes of Matt Ryan and Jalen Ramsey as players who could still make a case to get a gold jacket when their careers are over.
Entering his 15th season in the NFL, Stafford has the 11th-most passing yards (52,082) and the 12th-most passing touchdowns (333) in league history. Securing a Super Bowl ring certainly increased his chances of making the Hall of Fame, but his lack of accolades (one Pro Bowl and zero All-Pro teams) could prevent him from getting in.
While it remains to be seen when Donald hangs up his cleats, he’s an absolute lock to be enshrined in Canton someday. And as for Stafford, the jury is still out if the former No. 1 pick will get voted into the Hall of Fame once his career comes to a close.
