Last month, a NFL.com panel of analysts picked Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons to win Defensive Player of the Year over the Pittsburgh Steelers T.J. Watt. Now, a group of NFL executives agrees with them. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler took a poll from around the league to predict football’s 2024 award winners with Parsons again getting the nod over Watt.
Unlike the NFL.com poll, there’s no voting tabulation so we don’t know how far ahead Parsons was from the group. But the early consensus seems to be that Parsons is “due” to win the award just in the way Cleveland Browns DL Myles Garrett was a season ago despite Watt having better baseline stats. In 2023, Watt finished with more sacks, tackles for loss, QB hits, interceptions, total tackles, solo tackles, and pass deflections than Garrett but finished second in the voting. Watt even skipped the NFL Honors Award show after either believing or being tipped off that he hadn’t won.
In the ESPN results, the league thinks Parsons is primed to have his best season.
“And he’s in a contract year of sorts, so the motivation will be there to really break out,” an NFC scout told Fowler.
Parsons has been a dominant defender since being drafted by the Cowboys in 2021. His production has been impactful and consistent, the former Penn State star finishing with between 13-14 sacks in his first three seasons. Versatility is another plus with Parsons just as capable of rushing off the edge as he is playing off-ball linebacker. He’s come close to winning DPOY every year, finishing second in 2021 and 2022 while taking home third place last year behind Garrett and Watt.
Given that, if Parsons has a similarly strong season, voters may want to make it his turn to finish on top. Watt and Garrett already have awards and while the decisions shouldn’t be about who is “due,” that could influence decisions if the race is close.
For Watt to win the award a second time, he may have to have a season so strong that it’s impossible to ignore. That could mean breaking the regular-season sack record that he owns a share of. If not, he may again finish on the podium but without a gold medal.
Watt was the only Steeler to show up on the execs’ ballots.
