NFL DPOY Predictions

<p>Ever since 1971, the Associated Press have handed out the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award to, yep, you guessed it, the most outstanding defensive player in the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/nfl">NFL</a>.</p> <p>This has always been an open and captivating market for Sportsbet’s punters, so to help you place a more educated wager we’ve created a DPOY prediction guide so you can separate the contenders from the pretenders.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>What Is The Defensive Player Of The Year Award?</h3> <p>As previously mentioned, the Defensive Player of the Year award is a trophy delegated by the Associated Press (AP).&nbsp;</p> <p>While there are other versions of this award, this is widely considered to be the official and most prestigious incarnation. The award as its name suggests is given to the best defensive player in the NFL each season.&nbsp;</p> <p>The winner is decided by a panel of fifty AP members with the trophy being awarded at the NFL Honours Presentation night, which is held the day before the Super Bowl is played.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Who Won Defensive Player Of The Year Last Season?</h3> <p><strong><em>T.J Watt</em></strong></p> <p>Pittsburgh Steeler Outside linebacker (OLB) T.J Watt was deemed to be the best defensive player in the NFL in 2021. The 27-year-old joined his brother J.J Watt as a recipient of the prestigious award, although he will have to win DPOY another two times if he is to catch his older sibling who has claimed the prize a staggering three times.&nbsp;</p> <p>While there will be no more DPOY titles for J.J as he has announced his retirement from professional football, his younger brother still has plenty of opportunities to claim additional trophies.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Defensive Player Of The Year Predictions</h3> <p><em><strong>Nick Bosa</strong></em></p> <p>One of the heavy favourites for this award, San Francisco 49ers Defensive End (DE) Nick Bosa has had a 2022 to remember.&nbsp;</p> <p>The former Defensive Rookie of the Year currently leads the league in sacks and is joint-second in tackles for loss. These metrics are a defensive player's bread and butter and you can bet the fact that Bosa has excelled in both has not gone unnoticed.</p> <p><em><strong>T.J Watt</strong></em></p> <p>Last year’s winner, TJ Watt will be looking to take home consecutive DPOY awards come season's end. The linebacker’s output is truly remarkable, he led the league in sacks last season on the way to winning DPOY and is producing impressive numbers once again in 2022.&nbsp;</p> <p>His performances have not gone unnoticed by his employers with the Steelers making him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL with a four-year contract worth over $112 million.&nbsp;</p> <p>While not as dominant as he was last season, he is still every chance of claiming back-to-back DPOY awards come season’s end.</p> <p><em><strong>Micha Parsons</strong></em></p> <p>Dallas Cowboys’ OLB burst onto the scene last season in a manner not seen in the NFL for some time. His exploits earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year and runner up for this award.&nbsp;</p> <p>A truly remarkable feat considering only once has a rookie won DPOY, with Lawrence Taylor taking home the award after his debut season in 1981.&nbsp;</p> <p>Now well into his second season as an NFL player and firing on all cylinders, Micha Parsons is well and truly in the frame to take home the DPOY award.</p> <p><em><strong>Myles Garrett</strong></em></p> <p>Man mountain and Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett has had another impressive season, which has put his hat firmly in the ring for DPOY. This award would not look out of place in Garrett’s humongous hands, in his mind at least.&nbsp;</p> <p>The overly ambitious defensive end famously refused to enter the NFL Hall of Fame on a recent visit, claiming he would only go in once his bust is enshrined within its famous walls. A DPOY award could go a long way to ensuring he one day gets to set foot in the NFL Hall of Fame.</p> <p><em><strong>Aaron Donald</strong></em></p> <p>If Los Angeles Rams’ superstar Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald can fend off his more favoured rivals and scoop this season’s DPOY award, he will become the first man in NFL history to win the award four times.&nbsp;</p> <p>The veteran 31-year-old has too many accolades to his name to mention and is undoubtedly one of, if not the finest defensive players of his generation. While he isn’t performing at the level he used to, it would be foolish to discount this living legend for the award he has become synonymous with.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Under The Radar Options</h3> <p><em><strong>Jeffery Simmons</strong></em><br /> <br /> Tennessee Titans defensive tackle has made his way into the DPOY conversation with a string of impressive performances. He has established himself as one of the games best pass-rushers and is an enticing smokey for DPOY.</p> <p><em><strong>Trey Hendrickson</strong></em><br /> <br /> Another elite player in the pass-rush metric, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson has brought a new level of intensity to the field in 2022. This intensity has fired him into the DPOY debate and is an intriguing prospect for punters who like to back an underdog.</p>