Garrett wins DPOY over Parsons, Watt
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was named 2023 Defensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors on Thursday night.
Garrett amassed 14 sacks in 2023 and beat out Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt to win the DPOY. Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland and Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby were also finalists in what was one of this season's tightest award races.
Garrett had 23 first-place votes for DPOY and finished with 165 points. Watt ranked second with 140 points (19 first-place votes). They were followed by Parsons, who received seven first-place votes. Bland, who set an NFL single-season record with five pick-6s, received one first-place vote but finished fifth.
Garrett put on a show to start the 2023 campaign, amassing 13 sacks and forcing four fumbles in his first 10 games. His production dropped in the campaign's second half, but that wasn't enough to prevent him from being named football's best defender for the first time in his career.
The 28-year-old also led the league in pass-rush win rate, according to PFF.
Garrett was a cornerstone of Cleveland's top-ranked defense. The Browns' defensive unit was crucial in helping the team make the playoffs despite major injuries on the offensive side of the ball.
Parsons recorded 14 sacks in 2023. He's now finished in the top three for DPOY in each of his first three NFL seasons but has yet to win the award.
Watt, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with 19 sacks this past season. He earned a first-team All-Pro nod along with Garrett.