Detroit Lions defensive passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant has worked with some elite cornerbacks during his relatively short NFL coaching career. In four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, he had the pleasure of coaching Jalen Ramsey, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters.
Between them, that trio has been named to seven All-Pro first teams and selected to 16 Pro Bowls. But Pleasant likes to joke that the best cornerback he's ever been around is Aaron Donald, the Rams' generational defensive tackle.
The point the coach is trying to make is a great pass rush makes life easier on the secondary, and a truly great defense is able to both affect the quarterback by pressuring the pocket and playing a mixture of well-disguised and sticky coverage in the back end.