Los Angeles Rams

Rams DT Aaron Donald has Steelers coach Tomlin losing sleep

Published Sep. 23, 2015 12:11 p.m. ET

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Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will probably sleep a little better after this Sunday's visit to St. Louis.

It's only Wednesday, but Tomlin has been thinking about how to contain Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald for a long time. The 13th overall pick of 2014 out of the University of Pittsburgh has quickly established himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Tomlin saw plenty of Donald during the offseason as the former Panther still worked out at his alma mater's training facility.

“Aaron Donald is their man inside and up front,” said Tomlin per the team's official website. “I know quite a bit about Aaron Donald, probably too much. The things I know about him don’t help me sleep easy."

Donald already has 2.5 sacks and 14 tackles through two games after racking up nine as the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's not the only one Tomlin is losing sleep over, however, as Donald is one of five first-round picks on the Rams' defensive line.

"They have a lot of high-pedigree guys up front," Tomlin said. "Robert Quinn is a spectacular edge rusher, one of the best in the game. Michael Brockers is another first-round interior defensive lineman. They got Nick Fairley, who they acquired from Detroit, and he’s another interior presence. Chris Long is another first-round pick who plays end opposite Quinn. They play seven or eight defensive linemen, many of whom are first and second-round draft pick guys. Those guys are the engine who drive their defensive car.”

The Rams' defensive front played a major role in the team's 34-31 win over visiting Seattle in Week 1, but they did have some difficulty containing Redskins rookie running back Matt Jones last Sunday.

The Steelers will be happy to have All-Pro Le'Veon Bell back from suspension this Sunday, but they surely wish they had star center Maurkice Pouncey to help combat Donald up front. Instead, that task will be in the hands of backup center Cody Wallace and guards David DeCastro and Ramon Foster.

h/t: Pittsburgh Steelers