Which 10 Players Have The Best Odds to Win 2025 Defensive Player of the Year?

Entering the 2025 NFL season, the race for Defensive Player of the Year appears to be wide open.

Following Aaron Donald’s retirement in 2024, there aren’t any active players who’ve won Defensive Player of the Year honors on multiple occasions. Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain is the most recent winner, doing so in a relatively close vote, as he only earned 25 of the 50 first-place votes. 

However, he isn’t one of the 10 betting favorites to win the award this year.

Here are the 10 players with the best odds to win 2025 DPOY, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Top 10 Players With Best Odds to Win NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Hendrickson’s contract situation remains unsettled, painting a cloud of uncertainty over where and when he’ll play this season. What is certain? His elite pass-rushing skills. He has recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons, leading the league in sacks in 2024. A four-time Pro Bowler, the 30-year-old is consistently playing at a high level.

Carter had a breakout campaign in 2024 and was one of the main reasons why the Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, but could he have an even better season in 2025? A top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Carter had 42 total tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2024. He also had 53 total pressures, the ninth-best mark among all defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus, so it’s reasonable to think that Defensive Player of the Year contention is in Carter’s future. 

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Bosa has remained one of the best pass rushers in football. He has recorded 19.5 sacks over the past two years, with his play last season being one of the few bright spots for the Niners. If San Francisco gets back into title contention in 2025, Bosa would likely play a large role in making that happen. 

Crosby began the wave of edge rushers getting paid this offseason, signing a then-record three-year, $106.5 million extension in March. He has since been usurped by a few of his peers, but that doesn’t diminish just how good of a player Crosby is. In fact, he’s one of the few edge rushers widely considered elite at both rushing the passer and stopping the run. He was ninth in pass-rush win rate (20%) and second in run-stop win rate (37%) among all edge rushers in 2024, to go along with 7.5 sacks in just 12 games. He recorded a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2023.

Could Verse become the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year since Luke Kuechly in 2013? Verse ran away with Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, recording 66 total tackles along with 4.5 sacks and 77 pressures. His play helped the Rams win the NFC West for the first time in three years.

Anderson winning Defensive Player of the Year in Year 3 would seem to be a part of his natural ascension in the NFL. Anderson recorded 11.0 sacks last season after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, adding 37 total tackles.

Watt became the latest player to earn the title of “highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history,” claming that title when he agreed to a three-year, $123 million deal on July 17. His play certainly indicates that he’s deserving, recording at least 11.0 sacks in six of the past seven seasons. He tied the record for the most sacks in a season in 2021, posting 22.5 in 15 games to win Defensive Player of the Year. He had 11.5 sacks in 2024 but battled injuries down the stretch.

Prior to Watt’s extension, Garrett had the honor of being the highest-paid non-QB in history. Like Watt, Garrett has also been one of the league’s best pass rushers in recent years and has a DPOY award under his belt already. The four-time All-Pro has recorded at least 12.0 sacks in each season since 2020, including a 14-sack season that helped him win DPOY in 2023. He had a 14-sack season again in 2024, recording the most pressures (83) as well.

Parsons might steal the highest-paid non-QB title from Watt soon. He has been seeking an extension from the Cowboys this offseason, and while he hasn’t gotten one yet, it appears that Parsons will be on the field when Dallas opens training camp. If Parsons is ready to go when the season opens, he’ll almost certainly make a strong case to win Defensive Player of the Year. He has recorded at least 12.0 sacks in the first four seasons of his career, including last season, when he only played 11 games. He has also been in the top five in pressures in each of the last three seasons, leading the league once, per PFF.

Hutchinson is returning from a gruesome leg injury that ended his 2024 season after five games, so asking him to win Defensive Player of the Year might be a tall ask. However, he looked like he was going to be in contention for the award prior to fracturing his leg last year. He had 7.5 sacks in five games, giving him 28.5 sacks in 39 career games.

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