Carter: Is Donald the GOAT defensive tackle?

There's no disputing that Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL, and there's a strong case that he's the best player on either side of the ball.

He's one of three players in the history of The Associated Press' NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award since it originated in 1971 to win the award three times. The others are J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor, one lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and another who's already in it.

But Donald's also a lock to have his bronze bust in Canton, Oh. The debate that deserves time is whether he's definitively the best at his position in the history of the NFL. Only six other defensive tackles have won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The Vikings had two in Alan Page in 1971 and Keith Millard in 1989, the Seahawks had Cortez Kennedy in 1992, the 49ers had Dana Stubblefield in 1997, the Buccaneers had Warren Sapp in 1999, and the Steelers had Joe Greene in 1972 and 1974. Green and Donald are the only two defensive tackles in NFL history to win AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year multiple times.

There are other players who never won the award but have to be considered like the Rams' Merlin Olsen, who's 14 Pro Bowl selections is an NFL record tied with Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews and Tom Brady. Other defensive tackles in the conversation would be the Cowboys' Bob Lilly with eleven Pro Bowls and Randy White with nine Pro Bowls, and the Vikings' John Randle, whose 137.5 career sacks is the most by a defensive tackle since the stat began being officially tracked 1982.

Because Reggie White played defensive end officially for most of his career and was only listed as a defensive tackle for 1 of his 15 seasons, I didn't include him as this is about linemen who were primarily defensive tackles.

But where does Donald rank among all those legends?

Being at the height of his game, Donald definitely has more than a couple more seasons left in his career. And him having made the Pro Bowl in all seven of his NFL seasons, there's a good chance he could catch up with Lilly's eleven Pro Bowls and maybe even Olsen's 14.

Especially if he keeps the kind of explosiveness and athleticism that allows him to have footwork like this:

While looking as jacked as this:

Even without doing that, his awards already put him among the greatest of the greats. 

But when looking at all his accolades, the one clear defensive tackle that's over him is the Steelers' Greene. Mean Joe has the things that Donald doesn't in four Super Bowl rings. He was also the most important pillar to the greatest NFL dynasty of all time and arguably the greatest defense of all time with those teams from the 1970s.

Donald has been to the Super Bowl with the Rams, but hasn't won yet. He's had top talent like Jalen Ramsey as defensive teammates, but nowhere near the talent stacked with Greene in Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, Jack Ham and others.

The lack of team accomplishments don't count against him, but Greene being the centerpiece to that defense can't be ignored as a leg up on the former Pitt superstar. Greene's still got the mantle of greatest of all time because of his legend and transforming the position as the most dominant force of the most dominant defense. 

Even if Donald doesn't get his Super Bowl ring, he could surpass Greene if he maintains his ridiculous statistic pace for several more years. His 85.5 sacks in seven seasons has him on a pace of over 12 sacks a season. Even if he averaged just eight sacks per season over another seven seasons, he would surpass Randle's sack record and have a good shot to be the first NFL player to win Defensive Player of the Year four times. Doing those would put him above Greene.

But even without that, as of now, Donald is the clear second best defensive tackle to play the game. That Pittsburgh has obvious ties to both is one of the major notches for the city's rich sports history.

YOUR TURN: Is Donald already the greatest defensive tackle of all time?