NFL Defensive Player of the Year Power Rankings (Can Micah Parsons Finally Get It Done?)
The NFL schedule is set and now all have left to do is enjoy our summer and look forward to the 2024 season.
During the offseason, we as bettors should all take some time to look ahead to the available futures markets. There are some diamonds in the rough out there that won't be available at the current price once the season kicks off in September.
One of those markets is the odds to be named Defensive Player of the Year. Myles Garrett won the award last season but he's not the betting favorite to win it in 2024.
In this article, I'm going to power ranking the top 10 players who I think will be in contention to win the award this upcoming season.
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Power Rankings
All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook.
10) Kyle Hamilton +5000
A safety hasn't been named Defensive Player of the Year since Troy Polamalu did it for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 but if any player can snap that drought, it's Kyle Hamilton of the Ravens. He did it all in his sophomore season in the NFL, racking up four interceptions, 3.0 sacks, one forced fumble, 10 tackles for a loss, and 81 combined tackles. That strong of a season led him to being named to the first team all-pro.
If he's able to build on that and improve even further in 2024, he'll be in contention to be named the top defensive player in the NFL.
9) Danielle Hunter +3000
Will Anderson Jr., the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, has shorter odds to win this award at +2500 but I actually think Danielle Hunter is not only the better bet at +3000, but I think he has the overall better chance to win the award between the two Texans' pass-rusher.
Hunter ranked fifth in the NFL in sacks last season with the Vikings, racking up 16.5 per game, almost 10 more than Anderson Jr. had. He has also tied for the NFL lead in tackles for a loss with 23. He might be the best value bet on the board in 2024.
8) Chris Jones +2500
Don't get me wrong, Chris Jones is a game changer, but unless your name is Aaron Donald, it's going to be tough to win Defensive Player of the Year as a defensive tackle. He was tied for 17th in sacks last season with 10.5.
7) Aidan Hutchinson +1600
Aidan Hutchinson certainly has a chance to win this award, but I think being on the successful Detroit Lions last season made the public think he's better than he is. Don't get me wrong, he's an extremely good player, but he was tied for 12th last season in sacks with 11.5 and only totaled 14 tackles for a loss. While those are certainly solid numbers, he'd need to take a significant step forward in 2024 to truly be in contention to be named the best defensive player in the league.
6) Nick Bosa +800
Nick Bosa has a down year in 2023, recording just 10.5 sacks along with 16 tackles for a loss. Battling nagging injuries may have been the cause of that, but Id be a bit concerned if I was a 49ers fan and I certainly wouldn't be betting on him at +800 to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award. Let's step back and re-evaluate Bosa once were a few weeks into the season.
5) Josh Allen +2500
The "other" Josh Allen had an underrated season in 2023, tying for second in total sacks with 17.5 while also adding two forced fumbled and an interception. At 26 years old, the Jaguars' pass-rusher still has room to improve and he can get his name up there with the other elite players at his position with another strong 2024.
4) Maxx Crosby +1000
Maxx Crosby has improved in each season he's had in the NFL. If that trend continues, he may win his first DPOY award. He finished last season with 14.5 sacks while being tied for the NFL led in tackles for a loss with 23.
Now, add in the fact he has Christian Wilkins helping him on the defensive line and he could be in for a massive 2024 campaign.
3) Myles Garrett +700
To be honest, it was a little bit confusing to me why Myles Garrett won Defensive Player of the Year last year over T.J. Watt. He had 14.0 sacks, five fewer than Watt. He also had 26 fewer total tackles, five fewer pass deflections, and the same amount of forced fumbles with four.
With that being said, there's no question he's a game-changer and will be in the mix to win the award again in 2024.
2) Micah Parsons +600
Micah Parsons has finished inside the top three in voting for Defensive Player of the Year in all three of his seasons in the NFL, can he finally finish in the top spot in 2024? Parsons' biggest issue is that he hasn't been able to keep a consistent level of play for all 17 games. The last two seasons he was the favorite to win the award at the halfway point of the year but then cooled off in the final stretch.
For example, he recorded 10.5 sacks in his first 11 games but then just 2.5 sacks in his final six. If he can put together a complete season, he'll get the job done.
1) T.J. Watt +800
T.J. Watt should have won this award last season. He has by far the best defensive player from a statistics standpoint. He had 19.0 sacks, the most in the NFL by 1.5, while also recording 19 tackles for a loss, eight pass deflections, one interception, and four forced fumbles.
He should be rightfully viewed as the best player at his position in the NFL and in my opinion, should be the favorite to win the award in 2024.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.