The NFL Defensive Player of the Year award is one of the few ways defense is celebrated in today’s NFL. With rules continuing to be bent in the favor of offenses, this is one of the only avenues for defense to be encouraged. And in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year betting markets, bettors can often find value betting on who will win this award that supports the stifling of opposing offenses.
This award has largely been passed around by defensive linemen in recent years, with defensive linemen winning it eight out of the last 10 years. If you count T.J. Watt as a defensive linemen, it is nine out of 10. Of course, five of those combined awards went to Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt. But the ability to make plays up front has been rewarded handsomely in this market in recent seasons.
That brings us to the betting odds for this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year:
2024 NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
| Player | Defensive Player of the Year Odds |
| Patrick Surtain II | -500 |
| Trey Hendrickson | +700 |
| TJ Watt | +1000 |
Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
This season, the Denver Broncos exceeded expectations and qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card team in the AFC. A big reason for that was their defense, with Patrick Surtain II being a huge reason for their success on that side of the ball. Surtain finished tied for 10th in the league in interceptions and that, combined with the lack of a truly breakout season from a pass rusher, could get him his first career DPOY.
Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
This year was a disappointing season for the Cincinnati Bengals, as they finished third in the AFC North, with their defense struggling in particular throughout the year. But Trey Hendrickson was one of the few bright spots for the Bengals on defense. He led the league in sacks, racking up 17.5 sacks in the regular season. That may not be enough to win DPOY honors, but he certainly deserves credit for the year he put together.
TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
TJ Watt was healthy for the most part last season after his 2022 campaign was cut short due to injury. Watt has been healthy throughout the 2024 season for the Steelers, whose defense has been excellent to help ease the transition for Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in their first years as the quarterbacks for this team. Watt led the league in forced fumbles this season, but his lack of sack output relative to his normal standards will hold him back in this race.
2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Prediction
The unfortunate nature of this award is that pass rushers are always going to have the advantage over players at other positions. But this year is set to be an exception to that rule, as Patrick Surtain II has the inside track to win this award. Look for the Broncos corner to grab DPOY honors and for Watt and the rest of the pass rushers to have to wait until next year to get back into contention.
