Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been one of the league's premier players at his position through his first few seasons.

Donald can now add another huge honor to his already impressive NFL career by capturing the 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

The 26-year-old earned 23 of the 50 possible votes for the award beating out Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Calais Campbell (17), and Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones (five). He is the first pure defensive tackle to earn the honor since Hall of Famer Warren Sapp in the 1999 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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He also joins an exclusive list alongside other Hall of Famers Joe Greene and Cortez Kennedy as the only defensive tackles in league history to earn the honor. Donald put together an impressive campaign registering 11.0 sacks along with 41 tackles, 58 pressures and five forced fumbles while playing in just 14 games.

Donald has further strengthened his argument as being the best defensive player in the league that his resume also includes four straight Pro Bowl selections, three straight First-Team All-Pro nods, and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. What has been most impressive about his level of production is that he plays a position that is difficult to put up those numbers especially since he is constantly double-teamed throughout the course of a game.

Donald has been a consistent defensive force through his first four seasons racking up 39.0 sacks, which is the most by a defensive tackle in Rams history. This includes registering double-digit sack totals twice and garnering at least 8.0 sacks in each campaign.

Beyond that, it also brings attention to his contract situation as he's set to enter the final year of his rookie deal, which is a fifth-year option worth just under $ 7 million. The Rams have repeatedly stated that inking Donald to a new deal is one of their top priorities heading into the upcoming offseason. He should be in line for a lucrative long-term deal that makes him one of the highest paid players in the league.