From 2012-18, J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald collectively won Defensive Player of the Year five times, with only Luke Kuechly (2013) and Khalil Mack (2016) able to break through and claim the award as theirs. Since 2018, six different players have been named Defensive Player of the year, including Myles Garrett last year. He was able to secure the award despite having five fewer sacks than the league leader and despite the Browns finishing outside the top 10 in points allowed, which may show evolving attitudes from voters when putting together their ballot for this award.

Nick Bosa claimed Player of the Year honors in 2022 by securing an NFL-best 18.5 sacks for a 49ers defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL. The previous year, outside linebacker T.J. Watt tied the official record for sacks in a single season with 22.5 to easily earn the award.

In 2020, defensive tackle Aaron Donald didn't lead the league in sacks, but he was the signature player on a Rams defense that allowed the fewest points in the league, and that was enough to edge out Watt and his 1.5-sack advantage. In 2019, cornerback Stephon Gilmore picked off six passes and scored two touchdowns as the best defender on the NFL's best defense to win the award in a season that featured two players with at least 19 sacks (Chandler Jones, Shaquil Barrett).

I'll break down the fields for Defensive Player of the Year below and identify who I think makes the most sense to back, including some longshots I think could be worth small-sized plays. But first, let's look at the full list of odds.

2024 Defensive Player of the Year odds

Which favorites are worth playing to win Defensive Player of the Year, and which should be faded? And which candidates make for the best values to take home the award? ... Join SportsLine right now to see NFL Defensive Player of the Year futures betting strategy from SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert!