Skip to content

theScore's NFL Awards Roundtable: Defensive Player of the Year

Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The NFL Honors will be handed out on Feb. 6, but theScore's NFL Editors are making a case for the players whom they feel deserve to take home the hardware this season.

theScore's NFL Awards

Defensive Player of the Year

J.J. Watt, DE, Texans
76 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 3 FF

We can't allow voter fatigue to start robbing Watt of the awards he deserves. When anyone starts to consistently match his play, the DPOY might go somewhere else, but for now, Watt remains on top. His numbers dipped from the historic level of last season, but his actual play on the field never did. The season might be even more impressive considering the hand and groin injuries he played through. - Jack Browne

While a number of players stepped up and made a case for consideration as the Defensive Player of the Year, there once again wasn't a candidate able to eclipse J.J. Watt's level of dominance. Earning the award for a third time in his career would already bring him into a tie with Lawrence Taylor for most all-time. Showing no signs of slowing down, it would be no surprise to see Watt set an unreachable mark for this award sooner rather than later. - Dan Wilkins

J.J. Watt isn't just the best player at his position, he's the best defensive player in the NFL period. The one-man wrecking crew had a league-high 17.5 sacks, eight pass defensed, and three forced fumbles. He failed to miss any time with a broken hand and is a big reason the Texans rallied to win the AFC South. - Caitlyn Holroyd

We must be careful to judge Watt against his peers, not against the otherworldly expectations he's created for himself. Though it occasionally felt like a down year (Watt went sackless in three straight games while battling a broken hand), his final numbers tell the story: a league-leading 17.5 sacks. - David P. Woods

Luke Kuechly, LB, Panthers
118 tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FFs, 1.0 sack, 1 TD

Kuechly is the heart and soul of the Panthers' defense. A warrior who plays through injury and always shows up in big situations. The 24-year-old graded out as Pro Football Focus' best coverage defender at any position in the NFL for 2015. Kuechly was forced to miss three games this season due to a concussion, which prevented him from reaching the 150-tackle mark for the fourth straight year, but his impact on the Panthers' defense is undeniable. - Justin Boone

Aaron Donald, DT, Rams
69 tackles, 11.0 sacks

Donald is the most unblockable player in the NFL. Getting the amount of pressure he gets from the interior is absurd. He finished with the highest graded season in Pro Football Focus history and simply put: Donald controls the run and pass game in a way no single defensive player should be able to. - Joe Thomson

Josh Norman, CB, Panthers
48 tackles, 18 passes defended, 4 INTs, 2 TDs

Josh Norman backed up his incendiary comments by running the gauntlet against many of the NFL's top receivers. Norman held his opponents to a league-worst 54 passer rater when targeting him, and allowed 0.66 yards in coverage per snap, the second-best total in the NFL. Although he was somewhat of an unknown quantity prior to the year, quarterbacks avoided throwing toward the right side of the field, a veritable black hole. By neutralizing DeAndre Hopkins, Dez Bryant, Mike Evans, T.Y. Hilton, Allen Robinson, and Julio Jones, along with four interceptions and three forced fumbles, Norman should capture Defensive Player of the Year. - Arun Srinivasan

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox