As a fan of football, I get really excited every time the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award is announced. Each season there’s suspense, anticipation, and speculation as to who will take home the ultimate honor. The nominee’s skill, grit, and determination to put their team in the best position to win makes them a shoe-in for the DPOTY.
This year in the NFL, there have been some incredible players on the defensive side of the ball. From Aaron Donald’s amazing tackles to J.J. Watt’s all-around dominance, the selection for DPOTY this year has been hard. That cream of the crop being narrowed down to one player is always an exhilarating process.
One of the strongest contenders for this season’s honor is Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Addison. Though not a household name like Watt, Addison has quietly and consistently been making life hard for opposing offenses for the past several years. He’s an annual leader in the league with an amazing repertoire of pass rushing moves. In 2020, Addison had 10 sacks and three forced fumbles while constantly causing havoc in the opponents’ backfield. He also had one of the most iconic plays from this season’s playoffs, in which he sacked Lamar Jackson in the first quarter of their matchup against the Ravens.
But even with Addison’s impressive performance for Buffalo, there’s another potential contender that has caught many people’s eye: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Last year, he got a hefty extension in the offseason, but that didn’t stop him from playing his heart out when a championship was on the line. He forced turnovers, stopped big reception plays, and played a key role in the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl. Ramsey’s honey-badger-esque playing style has been a joy to watch.
Of course, there are still many other candidates for DPOTY this season who had very deserving performances. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead and Washington Football Team linebacker Chase Young are two of the major ones who have exemplified defensive excellence throughout the year. Both are seemingly perennially on top of the highlight reels and are always around the ball. They bring a level of intensity and energy to the defensive side that makes the opposing team think twice on every snap.
In the end, the DPOTY winner will be announced at the NFL Honors Awards in February. I’m sure it will be such an amazing moment as we get to learn who is the one player who will take the mantle of the NFL’s greatest defender for this season. It’s always exciting to know who is the best of the best, and that energy is only amplified when it’s for one of the greatest sports leagues on the planet.
Another interesting facet of the DPOY race is all the conversation and analysis that comes with it. Who are the favorites? Who will it be? Every NFL fan has a unique opinion on the subject. Some may think that the buffalo Bills defensive end is the obvious choice; others may think that Ramsey’s heroics for the Rams in the playoffs deserved recognition here. It’s all subjective and a lot of fun to analyze!
When it comes to the DPOY honor, there is nothing like the anticipation leading up to the announcement. Seeing all the hard work and effort from every defensive player throughout the season show off during the award show is one of the greatest spectacles in the sport. It serves as an inspirational reminder of why defense is so important in the game of football and lights a fire for the upcoming season.
Looking ahead to the 2021 season, there will be another crop of phenomenal defenders. There are no shortages of possibilities when it comes to future candidates for the DPOY. T.J. Watt of the Steelers, Joey Bosa of the Chargers, and Xavien Howard of the Dolphins are just a few of the defensive game-changers who could make a run for the title.
It will be a matter of watching to see how each of these potential contenders performs, what teams they join, and then seeing who rises to the occasion. In football, you never know what will happen, and the 2021 DPOY race will likely be as heated as ever. For me, the only thing I can do is patiently wait, watch, and enjoy each defensive player’s epic journeys and dazzling plays.