The Los Angeles Rams loaded up a defense highly capable of making a championship run.
The recent addition of Aaron Donald upped LA’s aims as a professional sports juggernaut — enough to draw cross-sport comparisons with former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman likening the Rams’ aggressive roster construction to what the Los Angeles Dodgers did in the MLB.
“You have to give the Rams a ton of credit,” Sherman said during an episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast”.
Can the LA @RamsNFL stay Healthy?
“You brought about as much grade A, All-Pro, All-World talent injected into a defense as you possibly can. … They kind of did what the Dodgers did this year in baseball.”
Sherman Says Rams Loaded Up Like the Dodgers
The Rams made their first major defensive splash by acquiring Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs. Los Angeles sent the No. 29 overall pick, fifth- and sixth-round selections and a 2027 third-rounder to Kansas City before signing McDuffie to a four-year extension.
The 25-year-old arrived as a two-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion. The Rams also added former Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson on a three-year contract, further reconstructing a secondary that needed help after the 2025 season.
Los Angeles took an even bigger swing in June, acquiring Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams surrendered Jared Verse and three premium future draft picks for Garrett, who arrived as the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He set an NFL single-season record with 23 sacks in 2025 and entered Los Angeles with 125.5 career sacks.
Donald then supplied the final blockbuster.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year agreed to a one-year, $20 million contract that can reach $30 million through playoff incentives, NFL.com reported. He had been retired since March 2024.
Sherman’s Dodgers comparison captures how quickly Los Angeles went from upgrading specific weaknesses to assembling an absolutely decorated defense.
Donald’s Return Means Extremely High Expectations for Rams
The remaining question involves how quickly Donald can resemble the player who controlled games throughout his first 10 NFL seasons.
Sherman broached that issue himself, asking in the podcast post whether the Rams can stay healthy and whether Donald will serve as the same dominant defensive lineman after two seasons away.
Donald has little precedent to follow. He turns 36 next May and hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since January 2024.
His production before retirement, however, was elite. Donald produced a PFF defensive grade of at least 90.0 in every season of his career and led all NFL defenders in pressures from 2014 through 2023, per Pro Football Focus.
He also will return to circumstances much different from the ones he left.
Opposing offenses now have to account for Garrett off the edge, while McDuffie and Watson give Los Angeles more talent on the back end. Donald no longer has to carry the burden of being the clear focal point of the defense.
That collection of talent explains Sherman’s enthusiasm and also creates a higher level for the Rams to hit in 2026.
Los Angeles went all-in on draft capital and money to fashion a defense around stars.
Donald’s surprise comeback gave that plan another major boost just before Week 1, and as the Dodgers comparison is flattering, it also means towering championship expectations.
Aaron Donald’s LA Rams Return Sparks Dodgers Comparison From 5-Time All-Pro