2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Watts, Parsons, Garrett Favored

It’s a bit of a logjam at the top of the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds. Michal Parsons, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett at each +700. If there’s a player you like to win the award, you’re going to get a nice payout.

There’s a small gap to the next tier of players and then the odds get increasingly higher on the other players. Name recognition goes a long way when it comes time to choose the winner, so it’s usually the same cast of characters near the top of the voting.

Sacks also play a big role when it comes time for the voters to make their choices. Only one defensive back has won the award in the last 12 years. Last year the top defensive back in the voting was Sauce Gardner, who finished a distant eighth.

The Favorites

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys +700

Micah Parsons had a solid season for the Cowboys and he finished second in last year’s voting. He had 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries last year. Playing for the Cowboys doesn’t hurt, even though they’re no longer “America’s Team.” Dallas still gets a lot of attention and that can only help Parsons. The Cowboys will be favored in the NFL lines quite a bit, so the opposition could be passing frequently. If you bet Parsons, that’s what you want to see.

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns +700

Garrett finished fifth in last year’s voting after recording 16 sacks and 60 tackles. Playing for Cleveland doesn’t help his cause, as the Browns don’t get the national exposure some of the other teams do. Garrett has been consistent, with back-to-back 16-sack seasons. But he needs to do something to put himself over the top and give himself a chance to win.

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers +700

Watt had an injury-plagued season last year, so you can’t really pay much attention to his stats. When healthy, he’s about the best in the game. But his body has been through a lot and staying healthy isn’t as easy as it was earlier in his career. He played in just 10 games last year after playing in 15 in the two previous seasons. A wager on Watt is really a bet on his health.

Top Contenders

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers +1000

The 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds have last year’s winner at +1000 to repeat. Bosa led the league with 18.5 sacks and should get his share again this year. The 49ers have a favorable NFL regular season schedule and should see plenty of pass attempts coming their way. That’s ideal for Bosa, who can focus on rushing the quarterback. It’s not always easy to repeat, but Bosa has a legitimate shot at doing so.

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders +1000

Crosby finished sixth in last year’s voting and was really just a few sacks away from competing for the award. His 12.5 sacks didn’t catch the eye of the voters. But his 89 tackles were more than anybody else who received five or more votes. If the sacks increase, Crosby has a good shot at adding to his vote total.

Ahmad Gardner, New York Jets +1400

“Sauce” may be the best coverage cornerback in the NFL, but that doesn’t often translate to votes. Teams will throw away from him, so the interceptions or passes defended don’t come easy. Gardner did have 75 tackles last year, but just two picks. You can’t make interceptions when teams are throwing to the other side of the field.

Contenders

Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams +2000

The Los Angeles Rams shut Donald down early last season in the middle of their tank-a-thon. It was the right move to make, however. There was no point in playing an injured Donald after the Rams were stinking it up. Donald has won the award three times, but he’s not getting any younger. The Rams will be better than last year, but that isn’t saying a whole lot.

Haason Reddick Philadelphia Eagles +2000

Reddick was fourth in last year’s voting on the basis of his 16 sacks. It’s a question if he can pick up his game a little bit more. He does play for a solid Philadelphia team, which means the opposition should be throwing a lot. But he had just 49 tackles last season, which didn’t help when it came time to cast ballots.

Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs +2500

The 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds have Jones at +2500 after he finished third last year. But that third-place finish is a bit hard to justify when you compare Jones’ stats with some of the others. He had 15.5 sacks, but just 44 tackles. That was the lowest of anybody who finished in the top 10 in voting.

Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers +2500

Burns is a bit of a surprise to have odds this low. But he did have 12.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss last year. Playing for the Panthers doesn’t really help his case. Carolina isn’t what you’d call a public team. Burns is a solid young player, but this might be asking a bit much from him.

Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions +2800

Hutchinson is the last remaining player with odds lower than +3300 and he has potential. He had a solid rookie season for the Lions and another step forward wouldn’t be a huge surprise. Whether he can take a big enough step to be in the hunt for Defensive Player of the Year is another story, however. He had 52 tackles and 9.5 sacks last year.

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