Aaron Donald
Ray Lewis
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Dead even across the measured categories. Our all-time ranking places Aaron Donald at #11 and Ray Lewis at #12.
Head-to-head FAQ
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The case for Aaron Donald
The defining interior defender of the modern era, Aaron Donald did from defensive tackle what pass rushers usually do from the edge. Undersized for the position at around 6-foot-1, he used explosive quickness and elite hand technique to collapse pockets from the inside, finishing with 111 career sacks, an extraordinary total for an interior lineman. He was named Defensive Player of the Year three times, earned first-team All-Pro honors eight times, and made the Pro Bowl in all ten of his seasons before retiring in 2024. Donald capped his career by helping the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI, where his late pressure sealed the title. Offenses routinely double-teamed him and still failed to contain him, the surest sign of a truly dominant defender.
The case for Ray Lewis
For seventeen seasons Ray Lewis was the emotional and tactical heart of the Baltimore Ravens defense, a middle linebacker who married ferocious hitting with brilliant diagnosis of plays. He won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and anchored one of the greatest defenses ever, the 2000 Ravens, whom he led to a Super Bowl XXXV title while earning game MVP honors. He captured a second ring in his final season in Super Bowl XLVII. Lewis intercepted 31 passes and amassed well over 2,000 tackles, an exceptional figure that reflects both his longevity and his sideline-to-sideline range. As a field general who set the defense and inspired teammates, he redefined what a middle linebacker could mean to a franchise.