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Defensive tackle Donald brushes off small talk
By Tom Orsborn
February 22, 2014 | Updated: February 22, 2014 11:18pm
INDIANAPOLIS — Being small by NFL defensive tackle standards is no big deal for former Pittsburgh star Aaron Donald.
“It never got to me,” he said Saturday. “It is what it is. Thinking about it or getting mad isn't going to get me no taller. All I can do is go play the game of football the way I play it: hard-nosed.”
Despite measuring just 6-foot-1 and weighing 285 pounds, Donald is in high demand at the NFL Scouting Combine, with the Dallas Cowboys among the teams eager to get to know him.
Donald said he had informal talks with the defensive-needy club Friday and has a formal interview scheduled Sunday with Jerry Jones and his crew. With defensive tackle and 2013 sacks leader Jason Hatcher likely to be lost in free agency, several mock drafts have Dallas taking Donald 16th overall, a prospect that suits him just fine.
“I would love to play for anyone, but it would be great to play for them,” Donald said. “I love the way they play up front (in the 4-3 scheme). They like the three-technique to just get off and make plays. They like him to penetrate. I feel like I will fit that scheme great.”
Although they haven't tipped their hand, coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli made it clear their thoughts rarely stray from improving a defense that finished last season as the third-worst in NFL history.
“It's a big part of playing the 4-3 defense,” Garrett said of having a playmaking tackle. “We have to get better on defense, no question about that. I think everyone understands that when you play a 4-3, it starts up front. Really, when you play any style of defense, it starts up front.”
DallasCowboys.com quoted Marinelli as saying, “You've always got to look at the front seven. That kind of drives the whole thing for us. So, hopefully, we'll be adding pieces.”
Donald won the Lombardi Award last season as the nation's top lineman or linebacker. He also became only the fourth player to claim both the Nagurski Award as the top defensive player and the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman after posting 11 sacks and a nation-leading 281/2 tackles for loss as a senior.
But even with that hardware, he didn't rest on his laurels at the Senior Bowl, where he lost only three of 15 skirmishes against the top offensive linemen in pass-rush drills, according to Sports Illustrated.
Former Baylor guard Cyril Richardson said Donald was the toughest defensive lineman he faced in Mobile, Ala.
“He's a hell of a player,” Richardson said. “Good feet, good hands and a great technician.”
Donald, who left Pitt with 291/2 career sacks, had drawn comparisons to the Cincinnati Bengals' Geno Atkins, who at 6-1, 303 pounds is another undersized, pass-rushing tackle.
“I love the way he plays,” Donald said of Atkins, who weighed 292 at the combine in 2010. “Explosive, fun to watch, makes a ton of plays. What he's doing in the NFL is amazing. It's an honor to even be compared to a guy like that.”
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock is among those who dismiss concerns about Donald's lack of size.
Aaron Donald won the Lombardi Award, Nagurski Award and the Outland Trophy. He also dominated the Senior Bowl, winning 12 of 15 matchups.
“He's a guy I loved at Senior Bowl,” Mayock said. “And I love him on tape. He's explosive, and he's quick. Now, the problem with the shorter defensive tackles is that when they don't win with their first move, they don't win with their quickness, they can get stuck on blocks because they don't have the length to get off the block. And that's the concern with Donald.
“Now, I think this kid's tough enough, quick enough and disruptive enough that he still deserves to be a first-rounder, so I'm a believer in the kid. But there are some that think he's a second-rounder because of the lack of length.”
Such talk doesn't faze Donald.
“All I can do is do my part and keep trying to open up eyes with what I did on the football field,” he said. “And then just go out there and try to compete and shock a couple more people.”
By Tom Orsborn
February 22, 2014 | Updated: February 22, 2014 11:18pm
INDIANAPOLIS — Being small by NFL defensive tackle standards is no big deal for former Pittsburgh star Aaron Donald.
“It never got to me,” he said Saturday. “It is what it is. Thinking about it or getting mad isn't going to get me no taller. All I can do is go play the game of football the way I play it: hard-nosed.”
Despite measuring just 6-foot-1 and weighing 285 pounds, Donald is in high demand at the NFL Scouting Combine, with the Dallas Cowboys among the teams eager to get to know him.
Donald said he had informal talks with the defensive-needy club Friday and has a formal interview scheduled Sunday with Jerry Jones and his crew. With defensive tackle and 2013 sacks leader Jason Hatcher likely to be lost in free agency, several mock drafts have Dallas taking Donald 16th overall, a prospect that suits him just fine.
“I would love to play for anyone, but it would be great to play for them,” Donald said. “I love the way they play up front (in the 4-3 scheme). They like the three-technique to just get off and make plays. They like him to penetrate. I feel like I will fit that scheme great.”
Although they haven't tipped their hand, coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli made it clear their thoughts rarely stray from improving a defense that finished last season as the third-worst in NFL history.
“It's a big part of playing the 4-3 defense,” Garrett said of having a playmaking tackle. “We have to get better on defense, no question about that. I think everyone understands that when you play a 4-3, it starts up front. Really, when you play any style of defense, it starts up front.”
DallasCowboys.com quoted Marinelli as saying, “You've always got to look at the front seven. That kind of drives the whole thing for us. So, hopefully, we'll be adding pieces.”
Donald won the Lombardi Award last season as the nation's top lineman or linebacker. He also became only the fourth player to claim both the Nagurski Award as the top defensive player and the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman after posting 11 sacks and a nation-leading 281/2 tackles for loss as a senior.
But even with that hardware, he didn't rest on his laurels at the Senior Bowl, where he lost only three of 15 skirmishes against the top offensive linemen in pass-rush drills, according to Sports Illustrated.
Former Baylor guard Cyril Richardson said Donald was the toughest defensive lineman he faced in Mobile, Ala.
“He's a hell of a player,” Richardson said. “Good feet, good hands and a great technician.”
Donald, who left Pitt with 291/2 career sacks, had drawn comparisons to the Cincinnati Bengals' Geno Atkins, who at 6-1, 303 pounds is another undersized, pass-rushing tackle.
“I love the way he plays,” Donald said of Atkins, who weighed 292 at the combine in 2010. “Explosive, fun to watch, makes a ton of plays. What he's doing in the NFL is amazing. It's an honor to even be compared to a guy like that.”
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock is among those who dismiss concerns about Donald's lack of size.
Aaron Donald won the Lombardi Award, Nagurski Award and the Outland Trophy. He also dominated the Senior Bowl, winning 12 of 15 matchups.
“He's a guy I loved at Senior Bowl,” Mayock said. “And I love him on tape. He's explosive, and he's quick. Now, the problem with the shorter defensive tackles is that when they don't win with their first move, they don't win with their quickness, they can get stuck on blocks because they don't have the length to get off the block. And that's the concern with Donald.
“Now, I think this kid's tough enough, quick enough and disruptive enough that he still deserves to be a first-rounder, so I'm a believer in the kid. But there are some that think he's a second-rounder because of the lack of length.”
Such talk doesn't faze Donald.
“All I can do is do my part and keep trying to open up eyes with what I did on the football field,” he said. “And then just go out there and try to compete and shock a couple more people.”
