Running through the favorites to win NFL DPOY in the preseason odds

The NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds 2022 are finally up! The opening night is quickly approaching and bettors are looking for who will be the NFL DPOY this upcoming season.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds 2022

There are a lot of defensive players who stand out in stopping their opponents from advancing the ball. The NFL DPOY odds 2022 show these players who have the potential to win the said award given their stellar 2021 campaign, offseason hype, and preseason performance.

All odds taken September 5 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Here are the top NFL DPOY candidates this upcoming season.

Myles Garrett, +700

The NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds 2022 have placed Myles Garrett as the favorite to win the award. At 6-foot-4, 272 pounds, you can see why he’s number one on most sports betting sites. Garrett is a freakish athlete who was third in the league in sacks with 16.0 last season.

Garrett didn’t get any votes for the DPOY race despite being one of the best pass rushers in the league. According to PFF, he has the best pass rushing grade (92.7) out of all the edge rushers in the league in 2021. In addition, Garrett garnered 17 tackles for loss, 33 quarterback hits, 78 quarterback pressures, and forced one fumble.

Garrett shouldn’t have any problem putting up DPOY-worthy numbers this upcoming season with the Browns. We already saw his work ethic and the desire to improve every season. Not getting any DPOY votes should also give him additional fuel to the flame.

T.J. Watt, +800

After a historic campaign, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is second in the NFL DPOY odds 2022. T.J. Watt led the league in sacks with 22.5 last season—tying Michael Strahan‘s single-season record. What’s more impressive is that he did all of these in just 15 games.

Watt also did a lot more damage outside sacks. He tied for the lead in tackles for loss at 21 and had 39 quarterback hits. Watt also collected 52 pressures and forced five fumbles.

Entering his sixth season already, expect one of the best edge rushers in the league to put up a monstrous campaign again this year for the Steelers. Winning back-to-back DPOY awards is definitely on the horizon. And that would put him alongside his brother J.J. Watt, who is one of the previous award winners of Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Aaron Donald, +900

It’s no secret that Aaron Donald is already one of the best defensive players of all time. In fact, he could be the best ever when his career is over. Donald has won three DPOY awards in the past five seasons—2017, 2018, and 2020. He joins Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only players in NFL history to win the award three times.

Donald had another stellar campaign last season with the Rams. He recorded a total of 84 tackles and 25 quarterback hits. He also had a total of 64 quarterback pressures and forced four fumbles. Keep in mind that he has done this while being double-teamed most of the time.

Being one of the best players in the league, Donald is still in the NFL awards futures for 2022. Expect him to be always in the DPOY conversation as long as he’s playing. He’s clearly in striking range to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.

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Micah Parsons, +1000

After winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award unanimously, Micah Parsons is on track to break out and become the best pass rusher in the league. After all, he was already a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks with his explosiveness and strength as a rookie.

The No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft racked up 84 tackles (second among rookies), 13 sacks (first among rookies), three forced fumbles (tied for first among rookies), 30 quarterback hits (first among rookies), and 20 tackles for loss (first among rookies) last season. Parsons became the only rookie with 80-plus tackles and 10-plus sacks in the last 25 seasons.

Entering his second season with the Cowboys, there’s a lot of room for improvement for Parsons. It’s scary to see what he has in store for the league. This is why he’s in the top five of the NFL DPOY odds 2022.

Nick Bosa, +1000

Another player rising on the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds 2022 is Nick Bosa. He bounced back last season and was ranked fourth in quarterback pressures (68) and in sacks (15.5), all after recovering from a torn ACL.

Entering a contract year while being completely healthy, Nick Bosa is primed to put up a monstrous season. And that’s assuming he doesn’t get extended by the 49ers beforehand.

Yes, the competition is tough with early DPOY candidates like Watt, Aaron Donald, Micah Parsons, and Myles Garrett, but Bosa is playing for an elite San Francisco defense. Being the lead star player on that kind of defense will certainly give him enough votes to win the award.

Joey Bosa, +2500

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is one of the favorites to win the DPOY award this upcoming season. Ever since Melvin Ingram left, Joey Bosa took the reigns as the number one pass rusher for the Chargers. He put up double digits in sacks whenever he’s playing healthy.

In addition, Bosa forced seven fumbles last season, which is second in the league behind Shaquille Leonard’s eight.

Alongside the newly acquired Khalil Mack, Bosa will lead the front again and give a statement to become the Defensive Player of the Year. The only question is if he can stay healthy for most of the season.

Rashan Gary, +3000

The Packers got themselves a defensive stud in Rashan Gary. The former 12th overall pick is shaping up to become one of the best edge-rushers in the league. He continues to improve and increase his numbers each season.

Last season, Gary set career-highs in sacks (9.5), tackles (47), tackles for loss (8), quarterback hits (28), and quarterback pressures (47). If he continues this, he should have another career year and have more than 10 sacks. This should put him in the Pro Bowl selection and Defensive Player of the Year conversation. What’s scary is that he’s still only 24 years old.

Shaquille Leonard, +3000

Shaquille Leonard is one of the best players in the league in forcing turnovers. The 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year was named the “Turnover King” due to his disrupting ability on the defensive end. The Colts ended the season No. 2 in turnovers across the entire NFL with 19 interceptions and 14 fumbles. Leonard accounted for 36% of them by himself.

Leonard forced eight fumbles (first in the NFL) and gathered 122 tackles, four tackles for loss, and eight passes defended last season. Expect him to put up even better numbers in his fifth season at age 27.

Maxx Crosby, +3000

One of the players who broke out last season was Maxx Crosby. The young defensive stud is continuously rising in the NFL awards futures for 2022, particularly in the Defensive Player of the Year odds.

In 17 games, Crosby recorded 56 tackles, eight sacks, and seven passes defended. Moreover, he led the league in quarterback pressures (101). His 101 QB pressures were the third most in a single season since 2006—behind J.J. Watt‘s 119 in 2014 and Aaron Donald’s 106 in 2018.

There’s no reason to think that Crosby can’t continue to produce and put up even better numbers this upcoming season. He’s still 25 years old and hasn’t missed a single game yet.

Still pondering your awards bets? We’ve also covered some NFL MVP picks for 2022.