2014 NFL Draft: Aaron Donald compared to John Randle

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Dec 26, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Aaron Donald (97) holds the lineman of the game trophy after defeating Bowling Green Falcons 30-27 to win the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Aaron Donald (97) holds the lineman of the game trophy after defeating Bowling Green Falcons 30-27 to win the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

Ladies and gentlemen, the hype surrounding Pittsburgh Panthers defensive tackle Aaron Donald is very well. Since an impressive performance at the 2014 Senior Bowl, which was followed up by a strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, Donald has been shooting up draft boards.

Once considered a second-round prospect, Donald is now in the mix as a top fifteen pick and there are even discussions that he could have an outside shot at landing in the top ten.

Just how good do NFL executives believe Donald is?

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, one AFC executive said that Donald compares to Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle and he called Donald the “best defensive lineman coming out in the last 10 years.”

That is very high praise for Donald, who finished his senior season by sweeping the top awards for defensive linemen.

It will be interesting to see just how high Donald will end up being selected, but at this point it would be surprising to see him fall past the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of Round 1.

Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com leading up to and throughout the 2014 NFL Draft for the latest news and rumors about the league’s top draft prospects.