Best Bet for NFL Defensive Player of the Year
DraftKings Sportsbook currently has a three-way tie for the favorite to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams is at +700 along with Pittsburgh Steelers’ outside linebacker T.J. Watt and Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett. It is really no surprise to see Watt here as a favorite given that he is the reigning winner of this award. It’s certainly no surprise to see Aaron Donald as a favorite either as he has won the award three times including most recently in 2020. While Garrett hasn’t won this award yet, he has received consecutive First-Team All-Pro honors and has also been selected to three Pro Bowls in his five-year career. Although the favorites are at the top of the list for a reason, there are many other players that could have a tremendous season and end up winning this award in 2022.
Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald is coming off a 2021 campaign that included playing in all 17 regular season games, compiling 12.5 sacks, finishing third in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year, and winning the Super Bowl. Given how dominant Aaron Donald was down the stretch of last season and how durable he has been throughout his career, I don’t see any signs of him slowing down. If he does win it again this year, it will be his fourth time receiving the award in the last six seasons. It is especially impressive given that he does not play a position that sets players up to consistently accrue strong statistical seasons, let alone be recognized several different seasons as the best player on the defensive side of the ball. Donald also has the benefit of playing with one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league in Jalen Ramsey, as well as a very strong offense.
Steelers’ outside linebacker T.J. Watt is right at the top of the heap as he won this award last season in a landslide, garnering 42 of the 50 votes cast. Last season Watt managed to tie New York Giants’ legendary defensive end Michael Strahan’s record of 22.5 sacks in a single season. Even more impressively, he tied the record while playing one less game than Strahan did in 2001 when he set the record. That could set the stage for Watt to have an even stronger campaign this upcoming season and it certainly appears the odds makers see it as a real possibility, as he is among the favorites to win the award. Watt was so dominant for the Steelers last season that he was able to move moneyline odds for Steelers’ games all on his own. In Watt’s favor for this upcoming season he has the luxury of playing with highly talented teammates like three time First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and two time First-Team All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick. Undoubtedly, playing with guys of this caliber makes it a little less demanding for a guy like T.J. Watt.
Rounding out the trio of favorites is Cleveland Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett has been an extremely productive player throughout his first five seasons in the league, which is why the Browns rewarded him in July of 2020 with a five-year extension in the range of $25 million per season. In addition to being named first-team All-Pro twice, Garrett has also been named to the Pro Bowl three times and has registered double-digit sacks in four straight seasons. Last year was probably Garrett’s best as he recorded 16 sacks and 17 tackles for loss to go along with 33 QB hits and a forced fumble. If Garrett can stay healthy and continue his upward trajectory, there is no reason why he can’t be adding his name to the illustrious list of players that have won it in the past.
There are a few long shots on the list of favorites that could easily shoot up the board and into the top tier of potential winners. The first to keep an eye on is edge rusher Maxx Crosby (+2800) of the Las Vegas Raiders. Though he only finished with 8 sacks last season he did manage to have 30 QB hits and 13 tackles for loss. He would have to make some pretty big leaps this season in order to win the award but he did show that he was trending upward and could be in line for a very big year. Another player to keep an eye on is Darius Leonard at +3500. He’s been in the NFL for four years and he has been a First-Team All-Pro three times including his rookie season and the last two seasons consecutively as well. In 2021, he led the league in forced fumbles with 8 and had four interceptions. One more player to consider is cornerback Trevon Diggs of the Dallas Cowboys at +4000. Last year was only his second year in the NFL but he managed to lead the NFL in interceptions with 11, only three off of the NFL record. His play earned him not only a Pro Bowl selection but also a First-Team All-Pro honor as well. It’s not likely that he is going to have double digit interceptions again this season but if he can improve upon his numbers this season he will have a good chance at winning the award.
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