Los Angeles Rams

Aaron Donald chasing both Super Bowl win and GOAT status

Updated Jan. 17, 2023 9:18 a.m. ET

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Aaron Donald's GOAT case has plenty of substantial backing behind it.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has seven straight first-team All-Pro nods and eight-straight Pro Bowl appearances to his name, and the Rams superstar is regularly listed amongst the best of the best when it comes to current defensive stalwarts (ever notice how much he's double-teamed?).

But does he need to win a Super Bowl to truly solidify his status as the greatest to ever do it?

For Shannon Sharpe, Donald has GOAT potential written all over him, even if he's not at the top of the totem pole quite yet.

"He's top five already," Sharpe said.

"I don't say that lightly. I played against Bruce Smith, Reggie White, [Lawrence Taylor], Deion Sanders. … Joe Burrow's going to have 99 problems and AD is it. There are certain guys, if you can't control them, you can't win. He's the real deal. Even if you don't know anything about football, you'll watch and say, ‘Who’s No. 99?'"

Shannon Sharpe: 'Aaron Donald is the real deal, he's Top 5 already' I UNDISPUTED

Shannon Sharpe weighs in on how close Aaron Donald is to being the best defensive player ever.

Donald's list of accolades is only continuing to grow.

Since he entered the league in 2014, he's No. 1 in sacks with 98, eight more than second place. He's No. 1 in tackles for loss –– 150 –– 36 more than the next closest, and he's No. 1 in QB hits with 226, 42 more than second place.

The 2021 campaign also marked the sixth season in which Donald was Pro Football Focus's highest-graded defender (93.6 grade), and he also cemented himself as L.A.'s all-time sacks leader this season, passing Leonard Little's 87.5 total.

Donald is the only player to record at least 11 sacks in each of the last five seasons.

Still, despite Donald's incredible run, Skip Bayless isn't sold on him as one of the greatest defenders in NFL history. In fact, he's completely against the mention of "Donald" and "GOAT" in the same sentence.

"I got to watch Lawrence Taylor and Charles Haley," Bayless said Wednesday on "Undisputed."

"Their motors ran a little hotter than Aaron's runs. Haley changed the Cowboys' lives. If you eye test them both, you're going to see more. In Aaron's defense, he gets pinned or double-teamed because he's on the inside, not an edge rusher. … He's very good, but I haven't seen [greatest ever] yet."

The fictional GOAT trophy is likely the furthest thing from Donald's mind this weekend. 

But if he can host the Lombardi come Sunday, maybe the GOAT honor will join along in the process. 

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Los Angeles Rams

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Skip and Shannon: Undisputed