Donald: Watt is best defensive player in NFL now

Aaron Donald picked his successor as the best defensive player in the NFL.

"I think it's T.J. Watt," Donald said on the "Green Light with Chris Long" podcast. "You talk about a guy that's consistent. Been doing it year in, year out, consistently, that's gonna get you 15 sacks, 13 sacks, 22 sacks, consistent. He's the guy who's been doing it consistently, interceptions every year, touchdowns. His stats are ridiculous every single year. He's that guy to me."

Donald, who recently retired after a 10-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, and Watt have often been in the mix for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year accolade. Donald won the honor three times and finished in the top five in voting on seven occasions, while Watt has won it once and placed in the top five in voting four times.

Watt finished runner-up for 2023 Defensive Player of the Year behind Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Myles Garrett, with Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons placing third. However, Donald said Watt's consistency gives him the edge over his rivals.

"I know you've got Micah Parsons that's coming up, you've got Myles Garrett, you've got a bunch of good players," Donald added. "But in my opinion, in the time I've seen T.J. Watt in this league, from the first time I've seen him to last year, he's consistently been dominating in this league. So a lot of respect for him."

Watt has recorded an NFL-leading 96.5 sacks since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2017.

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