NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2022 Odds: Cowboys’ Parsons a Top Pick

Anticipation for the 2022 NFL season keeps growing by the day. Fortunately, fans have early award odds to keep them busy, including those for the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Myles Garrett Leads Defensive Player of the Year Odds Race

Last year, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt took home Defensive Player of the Year honors after finishing the 2021 campaign with 64 tackles and an NFL-record 22.5 sacks, along with a league-leading 39 quarterback hits and 21 tackles for a loss.

As great as Watt was, though, he isn’t favored to win the award again this year. Instead, that honor goes to Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who’s been one of the league’s top defenders ever since he entered the league.

Nevertheless, anything can change before the 2022 NFL season begins. In the meantime, the odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook, but all of our recommended sportsbooks offer 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds.

2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Odds

2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Favorites

• Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns (+600)
• T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers (+700)
• Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams (+800)
• Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (+1000)
• Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers (+1200)
• Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers (+2000)
• Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers (+2500)
• Chase Young, Washington Commanders (+2500)
• Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders (+3000)
• Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers (+3000)
• Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings (+3500)
• Von Miller, Buffalo Bills (+3500)
• Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos (+4000)
• Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals (+4000)
• Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams (+4000)

Potential 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Candidates

• Matthew Judon, New England Patriots (+5000)
• Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts (+5000)
• Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5000)
• Roquan Smith, Chicago Bears (+5000)
• Randy Gregory, Denver Broncos (+5000)
• Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers (+5000)
• Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers (+5000)
• J.C. Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers (+5000)

Odds are via BetOnline.

2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Early Best Bet: Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (+1000)

Although Garrett is the favorite to be named 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, I’m actually going with the Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons as the best bet instead.

The 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Parsons entered the league as dominant as he was at Penn State. It didn’t take long for him to grow comfortable in the NFL, making dominant defensive plays as early as his first game.

Parsons finished the campaign as the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, tallying a total of 84 tackles, 13.0 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and 20 tackles for a loss. He was also named to the Pro Bowl and even earned first-team All-Pro honors.

Nevertheless, one thing that sometimes goes under the radar is the fact that Parsons actually finished second to Watt in DPOY voting, which goes to show how impressive he was as a 22-year-old. If it wasn’t for the latter breaking records, Parsons could’ve easily been the Defensive Player of the Year.

The Harrisburg, PA native now enters the 2022 NFL season with some extra experience under his belt. The Cowboys have their sights set on another NFC East crown and potentially more, leaving them to count on him to continue his dominance.

Parsons still has room for improvement with much to learn as his career progresses. However, the fact that he was a DPOY finalist in just his first season shows how high his ceiling might be.

As long as he stays healthy and continues his steady playing time (84% of defensive snaps in 2021), Parsons should be in the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year race until the end.

2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Best Value Pick: Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings (+3500)

Any bettors looking for more value with their NFL Defensive Player of the Year pick should consider going with Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter at +3500 odds.

Hunter has been an absolute sack machine throughout his six-year career, racking up double-digit totals in three of the last five seasons. In fact, the 27-year-old’s 54.5 sacks since the start of the 2016 NFL season rank 10th-most league-wide.

Hunter truly broke out in 2019, finishing fifth in DPOY voting after recording 70 tackles, 14.5 sacks (for the second straight year), three forced fumbles and 10 QB hits.

Unfortunately, the St. Catherine, Jamaica native couldn’t build upon that performance in either of the following seasons. A herniated disc in his neck forced him to miss the entire 2020 season, while a torn pectoral muscle held him to seven games played in 2021.

Having said that, Hunter looked promising in his playing time last season. He was on pace for 14.5 sacks once again as well as a career-high 91 tackles. Considering how his latest injury wasn’t related at all to his neck issue, the chances of him bouncing back are looking good.

Two-time Super Bowl champion Ed Donatell is now Minnesota’s defensive coordinator and should have some helpful tips on how to further improve Hunter’s game. Assuming it works, it could be a massive bounce-back season for the talented defender.

It remains to be seen how Hunter will look on the field, but the truth is that he has the potential to be one of the NFL’s top defenders in 2022. It’s wise to hop on his favorable odds right now before they improve after the season begins.

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