Rams' Aaron Donald No Longer NFL's Best Defensive Tackle?

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald slipped to No. 2 on a new ranking of the top players at his position.

For as consistently great as Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been for just about the entirety of his first nine seasons, it's kind of amazing how quickly he's relinquished the title of best at his position. 

But NFL Media's Bucky Brooks recently ranked the top defensive tackles, and Donald checked in at No. 2 after being limited to 11 games a season ago. 

"Yep, Donald has relinquished the DT crown -- at least for now," Brooks said. "But don’t put it past him reclaiming the No. 1 spot with a bounce-back campaign. After all, he’s still the G.O.A.T. at the position -- and remains one of the most feared defenders in the game today. At age 32, Donald still possesses “take over the game” ability, utilizing a rare combination of strength, power and quickness to overwhelm opponents at the point of attack." 

In Brooks' defense, this ranking is less about disrespecting Donald and more about pointing out just how excellent of a player Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs is. 

Jones was a First-Team All-Pro for the first time last season, only because he typically finishes second to Donald. For a Chiefs team that would eventually win the Super Bowl, Jones recorded 44 combined tackles, 29 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He earned the No. 1 spot on this list. 

What Jones also has probably earned is a new contract, which is why he's currently holding out as the regular season approaches for the defending Super Bowl Champions. Ironically, Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop reports that Jones, 29, "is seeking an extension in the neighborhood of $30 million in average annual value," in line with what Donald is getting. 

Jones said in a recent tweet that he plans to hold out until Week 8 if he doesn't receive his desired contract from the Chiefs. If he follows through on that and Donald is able to stay healthy, the latter could find himself back at No. 1 a year from now. That assumes, of course, that Donald will be playing in 2024. 

You can follow Tim Kelly @TimKellySports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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