2023 NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Preview and Bets Bets
The Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award is essentially the MVP for the defensive side of the ball. The MVP award will all but go to a quarterback (it has every year since 2013), but the DPOY is where fans get to appreciate the game changers and difference makers on defense. The field seems more stacked than ever before so let’s look at which players will be worthwhile to bet on.
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The Favorite: Micah Parsons (+600)
It’s almost impossible to ignore Micah Parsons’ rise as the next generational defensive player. Since he was drafted in 2021, he has singlehandedly helped turn the Dallas Cowboys' defense into one of the best in the league. The edge defender can not only stuff runs and pressure the quarterback, accumulating 26.5 sacks in his first two years in the NFL, but he also plays all over the field. Parsons, at times, will drop into pass coverage, and take away passing lanes in the middle of the field and guard pass catchers in the slot.
Parsons has the ability to make an impact on every down and has the motor that makes the DPOY award his to lose. That said, there are reasons to avoid betting on him to take home the award. One thing to consider is a defensive regression from the Cowboys, who allowed only 20.1 points per game last year. While the team still has an elite defense, production fluctuates from year to year on a team basis, and if the unit struggles, Parsons can fade as the favorite. The other thing to consider is the field. Yes, the Cowboys star is the favorite, but he isn’t providing great odds, and there are a handful of candidates that do.
Other Bets To Consider:
Myles Garrett (+700) has established himself as one of the league's best pass rushers, averaging 12.4 sacks per season. He’s never won the DPOY, but in the prime of his career, the Cleveland Browns' star edge rusher can put together a career year and win the award. The reason to avoid betting on him is that the Browns' defense, which allowed 22.4 points per game last year and struggled across the board, won’t provide him with a lot of help even with a new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz running things.
A player that will have all the help he can get is reigning DPOY winner Nick Bosa (+1200) of the San Fransisco 49ers. Last year, he won the award with an 18.5 sack season on the league’s top defense. Bosa looks to repeat, but the defense can take a step back, and it will be a tall task for him to replicate the career year he just had.
Only one defensive back has won the DPOY in the past 10 years (Stephon Gilmore in 2019). However, if there was any defensive back that would win the award it would be the New York Jets shutdown cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (+1500). In his rookie season, he made his mark as one of the best in the league and a pure lockdown corner. The biggest obstacle for Gardner will be the statistics for an award where stats carry a lot of weight. There’s a possibility he will have a minimal number of interceptions this year simply because teams won’t throw the ball in his direction.
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Chris Jones (+2500) has established himself as one of the best defensive players in the game, and last year, the national audience took notice. He doesn’t have the same stats as Bosa or Garrett, but he is the backbone of the Kansas City Chiefs' defense. He plays both on the edge and the interior of the defensive line, and another big year can catapult him to the DPOY award.
The other sleeper is tied closely to a team many expect to take a big leap this year. Edge defender Aiden Hutchinson (+2500) showed flashes with the Detroit Lions last year but is expected to take on a bigger role in his second year in the NFL. He can come out of nowhere and become the league’s top-edge defender on a defense that leaps to the top of the league.
My Best Bet: Aaron Donald (+2500)
Last year, everyone seemed to forget who the best player in the NFL was. Everything that could go wrong for the Los Angeles Rams did as they went from winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season to 5-12 and near the bottom of the NFL standings. Aaron Donald battled injuries and struggled to make the same impact he typically does, but since entering the league, he has been far and beyond the best defensive player in the game.
Donald has already won the DPOY award three times in his career, and when he doesn’t win the award, he typically is acknowledged as one of the best, as he’s been voted an All-Pro seven times. There is some voter fatigue with Donald at this point in his career, and the Rams' defense isn’t expected to be all that great. However, with the team bouncing back this year, I see Donald having another remarkable season where he disrupts every play in the trenches. Not only is he a safe bet but someone who provides great odds this year as well. Expect the Rams defensive lineman to win the award for the fourth time as he continues to pave his way to Canton.
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