Aaron Donald Reveals Which Rams Player Has Benefited Most from Bobby Wagner

Wagner agreed to a five-year, $50 million deal with the Rams in March.

No one brings a defensive presence quite like Los Angeles Rams star defensive lineman Aaron Donald does. 

But the argument could be made that this is just as equally the case for linebacker Bobby Wagner due to his play on the field and his leadership off of it. 

Donald says he's seen firsthand the impact this has on the team's young players since the 32-year-old's arrival this offseason. 

In particular, this has been a major boost for second-year linebacker Ernest Jones, who showed as a rookie last season what he was capable of becoming.

“I think it's just more his presence," Donald said. "I talked about him … he’s a guide for Ernest. Obviously, Ernest being a great football player, he did great things as a rookie last year. But coming into his second year, getting a guy like Bobby Wagner to be around, pick his brain. When I was working out in the morning, I saw him in there with Bobby working out."

In 15 games last season, Jones totaled 61 total tackles, one sack, four passes defended, and two interceptions. 

He's got a long way to go before he can catch up with the eight Pro Bowls, six All-Pro selections, 1,383 total tackles, 23.5 sacks, and 11 interceptions of Wagner, but learning under his veteran wing could do wonders for the defense as a whole. 

"So having a guy like that for (Jones) to learn from ... I think we got a special linebacker group," Donald said. "He has a lot of experience and things like that and obviously his presence on the defensive field as far as his leadership role and his knowledge of the game and be able to echo things to us to help us play a little faster up front is a plus too.”

The Rams continue preseason play against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium Friday night.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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