Aaron Donald Retires; Texas Tackle Byron Murphy Rams NFL Draft Focus?

Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald announced his retirment on Friday, and Texas Longhorns defensive tackle prospect Byron Murphy II could be a suitable replacement in the NFL Draft.

In a shocking development, Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald announced his retirement on Friday.

As it stands, the Rams already have the makings of a solid young defensive front with Kobie Turner and Byron Young.

But without Donald in the mix, the team suddenly has a gaping hole along their defensive front and in the locker room. 

So who could the Rams bring in in an effort to replace Donald? In truth, it is going to be impossible to replace the impact that Donald brought in terms of disruption, power, and overall talent. 

But there could be one player available in the NFL Draft that the Rams could target, who brings a similar playstyle and has a massive upside to his game.

Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman-USA TODAY NETWORK

We are speaking, of course, about Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who has drawn comparisons to Donald in terms of his skillset, motor and ferocity.

Alongside T'Vondre Sweat, Murphy was one-half of the country's most dominant defensive tackle tandem and top-ranked rushing defenses.

This season, Murphy recorded 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks, and even scored two offensive touchdowns, including one in the College Football Playoff semi-finals vs. Washington in the Sugar Bowl.

He is projected as a potential first-round pick, and No. 1 overall defensive tackle by ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.

"As I wrote in my second mock draft, when I projected Murphy to the Raiders at No. 13 overall, he has the highest pass-rush upside of any of the interior defensive linemen in this class," Kiper said. "He's a little short for a 3-technique tackle, but then again so was Aaron Donald. No, Murphy is not Donald; I'm just saying there's precedent for smaller (relatively) interior pass-rushers to have NFL success."

As Kiper says, Murphy is not Donald. No one is, but he could provide the kind of traits that the Rams would be looking for as a replacement. 

Of course, the crux of the situation is that Murphy could be gone well before the Rams pick at No. 19 next month. That said, the Rams have been aggressive in the draft in the past, meaning a trade-up for Donald would not necessarily be out of the question.

Rams BREAKING: Aaron Donald Shocker - Retirement Announcement

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who perhaps knows Murphy's skill set better than anyone, mentioned all of the qualities he sees in Murphy that allow him to be so dominant and impactful on the football field.

“He’s built like a pit bull, man,” Sarkisian said. “He’s strong. He’s got really strong shoulders. He’s extremely quick and powerful. He’s got a very high football IQ, and he plays hard. Those are all really cool prerequisites that you want to have as a defensive lineman, especially with his stature.”

All things that the Rams would love to add to their defensive front, now that Donald is gone.