Cowboys’ Micah Parsons is favorite to win DPOY award

Micah Parsons has yet to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Dallas Cowboys’ dynamic linebacker has a trophy case that is brimming with accolades, including multiple Pro Bowls, two First-team All-Pro awards, and an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. But despite finishing second in DPOY voting twice, he has not quite been able to get over the hump to finish as the league’s top vote-getter.

Could this year be the charm for him? 

Parsons is currently the favorite to win the award at +600 at FanDuel Sportsbook. 

His status as a favorite to win the award did not surprise Keyshawn Johnson of “Undisputed,” but the absence of other respected names in the game did.

“He’s either near the top, around, hovering every single year for the last few years going into the preseason,” Johnson said Tuesday. “Micah has always been in that conversation about Defensive Player of the Year during the preseason, so I’m not surprised at all. What I am surprised [about] is guys like Patrick Surtain II [from the Denver Broncos] and Kyle Hamilton from the Baltimore Ravens aren’t in the conversation at the top.”

Here’s the full list of favorites to win 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year from FanDuel Sportsbook.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2024-25*:

Micah Parsons, Cowboys: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Myles Garrett, Browns: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
T.J. Watt, Steelers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Nick Bosa, 49ers: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Maxx Crosby, Raiders: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Aidan Hutchinson, Lions: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Chris Jones, Chiefs: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Josh Allen, Jaguars: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Will Anderson Jr., Texans: +2600 (bet $10 to win $270 total)
Danielle Hunter, Texans: +2600 (bet $10 to win $270 total)

* odds as of 6/11/24

For Johnson, who matched up with plenty of top-tier defensive backs during his decade-long career as an NFL receiver, the position group’s absence pointed to a larger theme of defensive generally being absent from the award’s finalist tally.

“For whatever reason,” Johnson said, “we are so quick to point out the defensive linemen, the pass rushers. Whether it’s a Maxx Crosby, or a Myles Garrett, or Nick Bosa or T.J. Watt or some of those guys, and I think it’s a disservice to the award itself. … When I think about guys like Surtain, you say to yourself they don’t really get statistically the notoriety over a guy who gets sacks, because what are we looking for in the defensive backfield? Interceptions. 

“Well, if you ain’t throwing the ball on that side, or everything he’s doing is running shallow crosses and not really coming at me, and I can’t get the opportunities to put my hands on the ball, I’m not gonna get the sexy numbers. Whereas a pass-rusher can come off the edge scot-free, nobody’s blocking him, and he gets a sack-fumble.”

In comparison to the leaders, Surtain is currently listed at +7500 to win the award while Hamilton is listed at +5000, the shortest DPOY odds of any NFL defensive back.

Corners and safeties have scarcely been recipients over the years, as just 10 defensive have won the DPOY since 1971. Stephon Gilmore was the last winner while with the New England Patriots in 2019. And if the odds are any idication, that trend seems set to continue in 2024.

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