When individuals talk about all-time great defensive players, the name Aaron Donald will come up.
Donald earned a Pro Bowl nod in each NFL season he played, and the 6-foot-1 defensive tackle was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year twice during his sure-fire Hall of Fame career.
So when Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith compares a player on the current roster to Donald, it’s lofty praise indeed.
Smith did just that recently as he told Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram that rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall makes him think of Donald.
“He’s different man,” Smith said of Hall, adding “He reminds me of Aaron Donald a little bit.”
Smith quickly added a tongue-in-cheek comment to Petrak that he hoped Hall did not see his comments and “get a big head” with the high praise the comparison offers.
Still, Smith believes Hall is on the right track as he enters the NFL after just turning 21 earlier this summer.
One of the reasons Smith believes Hall deserves that comparison is how he attacks each practice.
“If you did see when we was there doing one-on-ones, he was winning each and every rep,” Smith said of Hall.
Hall was the Browns’ second-round draft pick in April, the highest selection Cleveland made this year.
At Ohio State, Hall earned All-Big Ten Conference recognition despite playing a limited starting role over the past three seasons.
Hall will get his first chance to live up to this hype on Saturday when the Browns host the Green Bay Packers in the teams’ first preseason contest.
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