Week 18 is past us and the NFL regular season is over, paving the way for the annual NFL Honors show in Las Vegas next month – where Defensive Player of the Year is up for grabs.
Who Is Going To Win NFL Defensive Player Of The Year?
Favorite: DE Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns, 11-6)
Myles Garrett is the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner after an impressive season in Ohio, where he remained one of two NFL players to record 11 or more sacks in each of the last four years.
In 16 games tallied 42 tackles – 17 for a loss, 14 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 42 pressures, three passes defended, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked FG.
Garrett was named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl, ranking sixth in the NFL for loss and sacks as well as fifth in forced fumbles.
Strong Candidate: LB Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys, 12-5)
Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons has had to deal with a number of officiating issues this season, but it hasn’t stopped him from firmly putting his name in the ring to win Defensive Player of the Year.
He recorded 14 sacks, 18 tackles for a loss, 33 quarterback hits and one forced fumble. Parsons became the fourth player in NFL history to record 100+ pressures in a season.
The 24-year-old also became the fifth player since 1982 with at least 40 career sacks in their first three seasons. His 24.1 pass-rush win rate ranked second in the league.
He put in one of the best seasons from a pass-rusher that the franchise has ever seen and because of his talent the Dallas Cowboys are genuine Super Bowl contenders this year.
Strong Candidate: LB T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers, 10-7)
Watt is likely to make up the third spot in DPOY voting this year after playing a pivotal role in guiding the Steelers back to the postseason, setting up a Wild Card clash with Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
He led the league in sacks with 19 and became the first ever player to lead the NFL in sacks in three separate seasons. Watt loaded up the stat sheet with four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, once interception, 68 tackles and a defensive touchdown.
The 29-year-old made his sixth straight Pro Bowl and his play towards the end of the regular season was sensational, where Pittsburgh won their final three games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens to book a playoff spot.
Weak Candidate: DE Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders, 8-9)
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby earned Pro Bowl honors for the third time in his career this season. He also continued a streak of playing in all 17 games for the third year in a row.
He played 1,080 defensive snaps (95% of total) and didn’t let a lingering knee injury deter him from powering through. Crosby recorded 90 tackles – 23 for a loss, 14.5 sacks, 31 quarterback hits, 50 pressures, 2 passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 17 games.
The 26-year-old not only led the NFL in tackles among DEs, but also in tackles for a loss for the second year running.
Weak Candidate: DE Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers, 12-5)
49ers defensive end Nick Bosa rounds off our top five DPOY candidates following a dominant season in San Francisco, where the team earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and enjoyed plenty of success.
The 26-year-old, who won this award in 2022, tallied 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 53 tackles, one fumble recovery throughout the year – becoming one of nine Pro Bowlers from San Francisco.
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