Mike Singletary says the Bears just got a monster in Khalil Mack ... but they didn't get the league's best defensive player -- 'cause Mike tells TMZ Sports Aaron Donald holds that honor!!
Don't get it twisted ... Singletary says his old squad ain't gonna regret giving up two first-round picks and a dumptruck full of cash for Mack, telling us he's about to wreak havoc on the NFC North.
"I know Aaron Rodgers and every quarterback in that league went, 'Wow, what the heck just happened?!'" Singletary says.
But ... Mike tells us if he had to choose one guy to build a defense around -- it'd be A.D.
"When I saw Aaron Donald, I thought, 'Wow. This guy is amazing. He is just a one man wrecking crew,'" Singletary says.
"So I think it would be hard for me to put [Khalil] ahead of Aaron Donald."
Good news for Mack ... the Bears gave him 141 million reasons to go out and prove Mike wrong this season.