Rams' Aaron Donald, Chiefs' Chris Jones Lead Top 10 DT Rankings by NFL Coaches, Execs

Aaron Donald is coming off a bit of a down year by his usual standards, but the Los Angeles Rams star remains the NFL's top defensive tackle around the league, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler polled a group of executives, coaches, scouts and players to rank the hierarchy at each position.

"Most evaluators still consider Donald the best, but his hold on the rankings is not as strong as in previous years," he wrote when it came to Donald.

The Kansas City Chiefs' Chris Jones was second on the list and garnered "several" votes for No. 1.

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Top 10 Defensive Tackles

1. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams 
2. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs 
3. Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans 
4. Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
5. Javon Hargrave, San Francisco 49ers 
6. Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants 
7. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts 
8. Daron Payne, Washington Commanders 
9. Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers 
10. Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders

Source: ESPN poll

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Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most dominant stars of his generation. He was an All-Pro every year between 2015-21 and totaled 89 sacks in 111 games.

The 2023 season could be when the 32-year-old finally cedes his status to Jones or another interior defender.

Injuries limited Donald to 11 games in 2022, and he simply wasn't the same kind of player when he was healthy. His five sacks were a career low.

Jones, meanwhile, totaled 15.5 sacks and was an All-Pro for the first time.

"One-on-one matchups, he has a natural answer for everything," one AFC executive said to Fowler. "Wrecked our games."

Jones has a significant source of motivation as well considering he's due to be a free agent in 2024. Another monster season will put the 29-year-old on track for a big payday, and perhaps he can close the gap on Donald ($31.7 million) as the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL.