2025-26 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds & Picks
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Jason Lake
- November 20, 2025
Have the Associated Press writers already made up their minds? Judging by the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds at press time, it looks like they’ve decided who’s taking home the hardware for 2025; one name stands above them all on the NFL player futures market at Bookmakers Review, and it’s a name pretty much everyone should be familiar with by now.
2025-2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Players to Watch
The AP writers have handed out their Defensive Player of the Year honors in a somewhat dynastic fashion of late, making three-time winners out of J.J. Watt (2012, 2014, 2015) and Aaron Donald (2017, 2018, 2020). Sure enough, the NFL DPOY odds for Week 12 tell us they’re about to dip back into that well.
As the market adjusts every week, a clear hierarchy is emerging among the league’s top defenders. Here’s where the top 10 candidates stand right now.
| Position | Player Name | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Myles Garrett | Browns | -450 |
| 2 | Micah Parsons | Packers | +400 |
| 3 | Nik Bonitto | Broncos | +825 |
| 4 | Nick Bosa | 49ers | +1000 |
| 5 | Aidan Hutchinson | Lions | +1000 |
| 6 | Will Anderson Jr. | Texans | +1800 |
| 7 | Fred Warner | 49ers | +2200 |
| 8 | Jared Verse | Rams | +2800 |
| 9 | Danielle Hunter | Texans | +3400 |
| 10 | Byron Young | Rams | +4000 |
Cleveland Brows’ Myles Garrett (-450)
In theory, these awards are based on regular-season performance, and we’ve still got seven weeks to play before anyone can pass judgment – but you know how it really works these days. The writers build their narratives around the top early-season performers, and those narratives become entrenched with every weekly column; this kind of reputation-building is even more important on defense, which is much more difficult to pin down with statistics than it is for “skill” players on offense.
Myles Garrett is already one of the most respected defenders in the league. The 2023 DPOY does lead the NFL in sacks (15.0) and tackles for loss (22), so it’s not like he doesn’t deserve a second award, but the narrative here is more about how bad the Cleveland Browns (2-8 SU, 4-6 ATS) are, and how lost they would be without Garrett. That narrative should keep Garrett in pole position for this race, provided he stays healthy and out of trouble.
Green Bay Packers’ Micah Parsons (+400)
As with our Offensive Player of the Year race, there’s a clear second choice behind the top favorite. The problem for Parsons (eight sacks, seven TFL) is that he abruptly switched teams before the regular season, traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers after holding out in training camp. The Packers already had one of the better defenses in the league, so this robbed Micah Parsons of the chance to play the high-profile savior role in the Big D.
Parsons is still darned good at this, mind you. Even with the late start to his campaign, Parsons ranks second behind Garrett on the edge rusher rankings at Pro Football Focus. If anyone’s going to overtake Garrett at this point, it’s almost certainly going to be Parsons.
Denver Broncos’ Nik Bonitto (+825)
Nik Bonitto (9.5 sacks, nine TFL) has started to separate himself from the pack for third-favorite status on the NFL player futures market. Playing for the Denver Broncos helps; they’re No. 2 in pass defense at minus-0.11 Expected Points Added per play (as per nfelo). Having a fun name to pronounce doesn’t hurt, either.
Be that as it may, it will probably take something major on the Garrett front for Bonitto to vault into the top spot. He ranks No. 28 among edge rushers at Pro Football Focus, down five spots from the preseason. Dre Greenlaw (No. 5 on the preseason PFF linebacker rankings) is starting to crowd Bonitto’s spotlight now that he’s got four starts under his belt following his delayed Denver debut, and last year’s DPOY winner, CB Patrick Surtain II, is due back for the Broncos in Week 13 after their bye.
Where the Race Goes From Here
Garrett is clearly the man to beat here, but there are other viable dark horse candidates on the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds board, including Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson at +1000 and Houston Texans DE Will Anderson at +1800.
Not every online sportsbook does a good job of updating their NFL futures odds, so you might find a bargain price if you shop around – using Bookmakers Review to help you figure out which online sportsbooks deserve your business.
Bookmakers Review Has the Odds You Need
We’ve quoted the NFL odds at Bovada as they appeared at press time, and while these futures odds aren’t as volatile as point spreads and totals, you’ll still want to verify the prices you can get at the time you read this – especially now that we’re turning the corner of the regular season and heading for the home stretch.
Stay tuned to Bookmakers Review for more NFL awards picks in the meantime, and may the prolate spheroid be with you.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
