2014 Arch Awards: St. Louis MVP Nominees

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Donald: 2014 first-rounder Aaron Donald may not be the first player who comes to mind when thinking about who the St. Louis Rams’ best player is, but he has quickly established himself as one of the best players at his position just 13 games into his NFL career. The compact interior pass rusher has collected 39 total tackles and eight sacks, which puts him among the best 4-3 defensive tackles in the NFL, not to mention one of the best defensive tackles the Rams have had since their move to St. Louis in 1995. In fact, the always controversial Pro Football Focus ranks him as the best defensive tackle in the NFL.

On a Rams defense that has underachieved at times this year, Donald and fellow rookie E.J. Gaines have been the two most consistent parts throughout the season. With Donald already developing into a possible Pro Bowl candidate, the sky is the limit. Fortunately for those of us who enjoy watching elite pass rushing talents, he’s already pretty close to the sky.

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