The regular season of the NFL is drawing to a close, with only a handful of teams vying for a position in the postseason. Along with the end of the season, the league, teams and players make their choices for a variety of awards and honors to be doled out, and one of these is the NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. Oddsmakers have taken to the boards to put up the favorites to win and, of all the possibilities available, one player stands out among the crowd for the honor and could be the first in his position in ten years to take home the prize.
Only six cornerbacks in the history of the NFL have ever won the DPOY award – only one of these was in the past decade. Stephon Gilmore of the New England Patriots could be the seventh, and is coming off an incredible year. His name has been mentioned a lot this season, but it wasn’t until Week 15 that he powered his way to the top of the list, thanks to his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.
During that game, Gilmore picked up two interceptions, one of which he ran all the way back for a touchdown from the Pats own 40-yard line. He also picked up two tackles and deflected four passes as the Pats rolled over the Bengals, 34-13.
Before that game, Aaron Donald of the LA Rams had been the favorite among oddsmakers for the DPOY. The defensive tackle has also shown a lot of depth this year, but Gilmore’s actions propelled him over Donald and, according to BetOnline, put him at -300 for the award. Donald is the next closest, but at a distant +600.
Perhaps it’s time for a changing of the guard. Donald has been selected the DPOY twice in a row – in 2017 and 2018 – and this would have been his third had he not been overshadowed by Gilmore. For the past five years, the award has been given to a defensive linesman, and it’s time for the spotlight to shift to other positions on the field.
Tom Brady, the quarterback for the Pats, believes his teammate is deserving of the award. He told ESPN, “He’s done everything you could ask a defensive player of the year to do.”
He can do even more before the year is over, too. The Pats take on the Buffalo Bills this Saturday – the first time this season any games have been held a day prior to their normal schedule – and Gilmore has additional opportunities to shine. He is now tied for the most interceptions in a single season with 16 and, if he gets just one, he’ll be the NFL’s interception champ and well on his way to the DPOY award.
