While Myles Garrett is currently the odds-on favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year, former Badger T.J. Watt arguably has a better statistical season and could very well take home the award yet again.
The Steelers star won the award in 2021, and his numbers show he could absolutely win it yet again for a Pittsburgh team that is firmly in the playoff hunt with two weeks left in the regular season.
Watt has racked up 17 sacks and 41 solo tackles but notably is outshining Garrett in nearly every statistical category you can think of. Courtesy of USA TODAY’s Jarrett Bailey, check out a side-by-side comparison of why the former Badger star should win his second NFL DPOY in the last three years:
It’s not that just that T.J. Watt leads the league in sacks. It’s the fact that he has more sacks, tackles, takeaways, and defensive touchdowns than Myles Garrett, who is the favorite to win DPOY. Myles Garrett is awesome. But Watt is better. And the numbers back that up. https://t.co/QygDuiEJrf pic.twitter.com/NmVjhciFsT
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) December 28, 2023