The Kansas City Chiefs selected defensive tackle Khalen Saunders in the third-round (84th overall pick) of the 2019 NFL Draft. They hope that the 22-year-old can turn into a major player on the line and help clean up a defense to pair with their ridiculous offense.

If his inspiration is anything to go off, Saunders could be a monster. In an article by Nate Taylor of The Athletic, Saunders points to Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as one of his “biggest inspirations”:

Playing a lot of snaps early at Western Illinois gave Saunders the opportunity to see different styles and approaches from offensive linemen. Such reps, along with studying film of Donald — “One of my biggest inspirations,” he said — developed and better polished the techniques of his moves, which he knows will be critical to his success in the NFL.

But people who knew Saunders from high school have fun asking him a tough question: Is it more fun to run the ball toward the end zone or chase a quarterback for a sack?

“If I can be untouched going to the quarterback, then of course that’s the goal,” Saunders said smiling. “That leads to less injuries and more sacks. I definitely like to be untouched.”

Aaron Donald has been in the NFL for five seasons. In that time he has 59.5 sacks, including a ridiculous 20.5 last season.

Donald is considered by many to be the best defensive player in the NFL. Quite a few would gladly call him the best overall player in the NFL. He can single-handedly turn a game around, and he does it from a position many wouldn't expect that to be possible.

In fact, his impact on the game is so big, he was considered for NFL MVP last season. That's definitely someone a young player should aspire to be.

Khalen Saunders has a lot of work to do if he wants to be like one of his biggest inspirations, Aaron Donald. Then again, every NFL defensive tackle has a lot of work to do if the goal is to get on the same level as Donald.