NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Odds 2025
Denver Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto is the favorite (+340) to take home the NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award after Week 6. Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, and Myles Garrett are all within striking distance of the top spot, though. Pass-rushers make up the majority of the top contenders, as expected.
Below are the latest NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds, with my analysis.
NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Odds For 2025-26
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nik Bonitto (DEN) | +340 |
| Aidan Hutchinson (DET) | +360 |
| Micah Parsons (GB) | +360 |
| Myles Garrett (CLE) | +500 |
| T.J. Watt (PIT) | +1200 |
| Will Anderson Jr. (HOU) | +1400 |
| Jared Verse (LAR) | +2000 |
| Maxx Crosby (LV) | +3300 |
| Brian Burns (NYG) | +4000 |
Odds as of October 15th, at FanDuel
Bonitto Leads Group of Contenders
Bonitto leads all defenders now, but things are close between him, Hutchinson, Parsons, and Garrett. Here’s how the top four edge rushers compare to one another statistically:
| Hutchinson | Parsons | Bonitto | Garrett | |
| Sacks | 6.0 | 2.5 | 8.0 | 4.0 |
| Tackles for Loss | 6 | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| QB Hits | 12 | 8 | 16 | 8 |
| Forced Fumbles | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Parsons lags behind his competitors a bit, but he’s only played 69% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps while managing a back ailment that he sustained during the offseason. For comparison, Hutchinson and Garrett have played 92% and 78% of the defensive snaps, respectively, for their teams. Bonitto is playing the fewest percentage of snaps as a pass-rushing specialist at 63%.
Be sure to stretch your NFL betting bankroll further this season by taking advantage of our latest and greatest NFL promos and best NFL betting sites.
NFL DPOY Risers: Giants’ Brian Burns Climbing
Burns has been excellent for New York despite the team’s 2-4 record preventing him from enjoying many obvious passing game scripts. The 27-year-old’s numbers compare favourably to the top contenders with seven sacks, nine tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. Look for Burns to continue climbing the board if he continues to produce, and the Giants pick up some more wins.
Devin Lloyd Top Non-Edge Rusher
Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd is the only other non-edge rusher inside the top 12 for Defensive Player of the Year odds at +7500. The last off-ball linebacker to take home the award was Luke Kuechly in 2013. Kuechly had 156 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, and seven pass deflections that season. Lloyd would likely need to top that production to have a chance against the league’s top pass-rushers, given the award’s history.
Fred Warner was the top-ranked non-edge rusher for several weeks, but a broken and dislocated ankle ended the All-Pro’s season early.
Last 10 Defensive Player of the Year Winners
| Year | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Pat Surtain II | Denver Broncos | CB |
| 2023 | Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | DE |
| 2022 | Nick Bosa | San Francisco 49ers | DE |
| 2021 | T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | LB |
| 2020 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | DT |
| 2019 | Stephon Gilmore | New England Patriots | CB |
| 2018 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | DT |
| 2017 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | DT |
| 2016 | Khalil Mack | Oakland Raiders* | DE |
| 2015 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | DT |
*now the Las Vegas Raiders.
Our previous 10 DPOY winners have a few familiar faces… Donald and the Watts make up 50% of this list! With the retirements of the older Watt and Donald in recent years, maybe T.J. can take up the mantle.
Who Has Won the Most NFL DPOY Awards?
| Player | Awards Won | Position | Team | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Taylor | 3 | Linebacker | New York Giants | 1981 – 1982, 1986 |
| J.J. Watt | 3 | Defensive End | Houston Texans | 2012, 2014 – 2015 |
| Aaron Donald | 3 | Defensive Tackle | Los Angeles Rams | 2017 – 2018, 2020 |
| Joe Greene | 2 | Defensive Tackle | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1972, 1974 |
| Mike Singletary | 2 | Linebacker | Chicago Bears | 1985, 1988 |
| Bruce Smith | 2 | Defensive End | Buffalo Bills | 1990, 1996 |
| Reggie Smith | 2 | Defensive End | Philadelphia Eagles / Green Bay Packers | 1987, 1998 |
| Ray Lewis | 2 | Linebacker | Baltimore Ravens | 2000, 2003 |
Where only two running backs have won three awards for Offensive Player of the Year, the DPOY award boasts three stalwart defenders in Donald, Watt, and Taylor. All three of these players earned the award in back-to-back seasons.
For all their accolades, none of these players brought their team to a Super Bowl in the same year they won DPOY.
NFL Teams With the Most DPOY Winners
| Team | Awards Won | Most Recent DPOY Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | OLB – T.J. Watt (2021) |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | OLB – Terrell Suggs (2011) |
| New York Giants | 4 | DE – Michael Strahan (2001) |
| Houston Texans | 3 | DE – J.J. Watt (2015) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | LB – Derrick Brooks (2002) |
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | DE – Bruce Smith (1996) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | DE – Jason Taylor (2006) |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | DE – Nick Bosa (2022) |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3 | DT – Aaron Donald (2020) |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | LB – Brian Urlacher (2005) |
The Steelers don’t even make this close — their long-standing reputation as defensive juggernauts is well-earned, doubling the Ravens and Giants’ collection of DPOY award winners.
Teams That Have Never Had A DPOY
While the Steelers seemingly churn out DPOYs every season, several teams have never had a player win the award:
Defensive Player of the Year Betting Trends and Notes
- Four of the previous ten winners led the league in sacks during their DPOY season – Nick Bosa, Aaron Donald, and J.J. Watt (twice).
- Out of the previous ten winners, Aaron Donald (2020) and J.J. Watt (2015) are the only two players to have favorited odds before the start of the season.
- The five most recent DPOY winners represent the longest span the award has gone to a different player each year since J.J. Watt won his first award in 2012.
- Players can still stand a chance at winning even if their team’s performance is subpar — four of the last nine winners played on a defense that was ranked lower than the top ten.
Source link
