The days are counting down until the NFL announces this season’s Defensive Player of the Year. As such, more and more analysts are chiming in with their takes on who will take home the hardware and putting in their own awards.
A CBS panel of analysts named Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt the Defensive Player of the Year. Fresh off of winning the honor in 2021, Watt edges out the likes of Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby and Micah Parsons.
This season, Watt once again led the league in sacks collecting 19 to go along with 19 tackles for loss, 68 tackles, four forced fumbles, an interception and a touchdown. He led the NFL in sacks for the third time in his career as well, nearly topping his previous career-best at 22.5.
Watt has picked up steam recently to become the Defensive Player of the Year, being selected as the 2023 NFL 101 Awards AFC Defensive Player of the Year. The committee for the honor is composed of 101 media members around the nation who cover the league.
Despite this, sportsbooks still have Watt as an underdog to win the award. DraftKings currently has both Parsons and Garrett with better odds to win the award. FanDuel also has Watt behind the two pass rushers, despite him having superior numbers in nearly every category.
Even if he doesn’t win, this season was one for the books for the man out of Wisconsin. At just 29 years old, Watt shattered the Steelers’ all-time sack record, passing fellow former Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison.
The record came in the team’s Monday night game against the Cleveland Browns when Watt brought down Deshaun Watson. Currently, he sits at a 96.5 career sacks as he continues to climb up the league’s all-time record.
If Watt wins the award, he would join Aaron Donald as the only other active player to win more than once. Donald has won three times. Other players who have multiple Defensive Rookie of the Year trophies include Lawrence Taylor and his brother J.J. Watt, who won it three times each. Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Ray Lewis all won it twice
The NFL will announce the winner on Thursday, February 8th at the NFL Honors ceremony in Las Vegas. The winner for Walter Payton Man of the Year will also be announced, with Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward in contention for his work with his Heyward House Foundation.
