Reggie White
Aaron Donald
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Reggie White leads 2 of 3 categories. Our all-time ranking places Reggie White at #7 and Aaron Donald at #11.
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The case for Reggie White
Known as the Minister of Defense, Reggie White combined rare size, power, and quickness to become one of the most unstoppable pass rushers ever. He retired as the NFL all-time sack leader with 198, a mark since passed only by Bruce Smith, and he twice won Defensive Player of the Year. White was a wrecking ball against both the run and the pass, capable of bull-rushing a guard into the backfield or dipping around a tackle. He made thirteen Pro Bowls across sixteen seasons and, after signing one of the landmark free-agent deals of the new era, delivered a Super Bowl to Green Bay, recording three sacks in the Packers Super Bowl XXXI win. Few players so thoroughly dominated the line of scrimmage for so long.
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.