The 2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds are on the board, with star defenders already drawing early betting interest.
Sharp Football tracks this market throughout the season, using analytics-backed analysis of pressure rates, coverage grades, and team defensive schemes to identify the best value before lines move.
The current odds board and our best bet are below.
2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds to Win
| Player | Team | Current Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | +500 |
| Maxx Crosby | Las Vegas Raiders | +800 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | Detroit Lions | +800 |
| Will Anderson Jr. | Houston Texans | +800 |
| Micah Parsons | Green Bay Packers | +1100 |
| Nick Bosa | San Francisco 49ers | +1200 |
| Nik Bonitto | Denver Broncos | +1400 |
| Jared Verse | Los Angeles Rams | +1400 |
| T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | +1800 |
| Brian Burns | New York Giants | +1800 |
Who is the current favorite to win the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year?
Myles Garrett is currently the favorite to win the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year at +500. He is followed by:
- Maxx Crosby (+800)
- Aidan Hutchinson (+800)
- Will Anderson Jr. (+800)
- Micah Parsons (+1100)
Best Bet to win the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year: Jaelan Phillips (+10000)
While defensive backs can win this award, as we saw with Patrick Surtain in 2024, it makes a lot more sense to bet on edge rushers given the history of Defensive Player of the Year.
Will Anderson Jr. stands out as a great candidate for this award, given his success and rising profile, but betting +800 at this point in the offseason does not make much sense.
Going way down the board, Phillips seems underpriced when looking at the production he had last season and the big contract he signed in free agency.
While Phillips only had 5 sacks last season, he was fourth among all qualified pass rushers in pressure rate.
That was not a fluke outcome, either.
Phillips has a very good 14.6% career pressure rate, and he had 6.5 sacks in just eight games back in 2023 before suffering an Achilles injury.
Phillips does have that injury history, but these are extremely long odds for a pass rusher who played like one of the best in the league last year.
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Betting Trends
- Aaron Donald was the last player to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, topping the voting in 2017 and 2018. Donald won his third award in 2020.
- Donald, J.J. Watt (2014-2015), and Lawrence Taylor (1981-1982) are the only back-to-back winners of Defensive Player of the Year.
- Myles Garrett has won the award in two of the last three seasons. If he wins again in 2026, he will join Donald and Watt as the only players to win three DPoY awards in a four-year span.
- Edge rushers have won 9 of the last 15 Defensive Player of the Year Awards, with Aaron Donald earning another 3 during that span.
- Defensive backs have won 2 of the last 15 Defensive Player of the Year Awards, including Patrick Surtain in 2024.
