Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey both in top 5 of Defensive Player of the Year odds

At the midway point in the season, the Rams have two of the top five favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year.

Aaron Donald has great odds to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year each season, often opening the year as the betting favorite. He’s won it three times, so it’s only natural for him to be among the top candidates each and every year.

He’s once again a contender to win Defensive Player of the Year this season, as is Jalen Ramsey. The All-Pro cornerback has three interceptions and six tackles for a loss on the year, doing a little bit of everything in the secondary.

According to Tipico Sportsbook, Donald and Ramsey are both among the top five candidates for the award. Here’s how the top six break down:

  • Myles Garrett: +240
  • T.J. Watt: +280
  • Trevon Diggs: +750
  • Aaron Donald: +900
  • Jalen Ramsey: +2000
  • Darius Leonard: +2000

Based on those current odds, a $100 wager on Donald to win DPOY would return a profit of $900. For Ramsey, a $100 bet would have a profit of $2,000. That’s a nice payday for either player, though Garrett and Watt are the current favorites to win the award.

When Stephon Gilmore was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, he had six interceptions and 20 passes defensed with two touchdowns scored. Ramsey is on pace for about six interceptions and 15 passes defensed, but he also has six tackles for a loss already, which Gilmore had none of in 2019.

Donald has just six sacks so far this year, putting him well behind the league leaders Garrett (12.0) and Watt (11.5). That’s not to say he’s having a down year, but he’s not putting up the eye-popping numbers from a sack perspective this season.

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