The winner of the Associated Press (AP) NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2025-2026 season will be officially announced on Thursday. Specifically, at the 15th Annual NFL Honors on Thursday, February 5, 2026. Myles Garrett, defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, is the heavy NFL betting favorite and has already secured several major “Defensive Player of the Year” honors from other organizations for his record-breaking 2025 campaign. Namely, other finalists include Will Anderson Jr, Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, and Nik Bonitto.
The Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is the most prestigious individual honor awarded to a defensive player in the National Football League. Initially established in 1971, it is recognized by the NFL as the official defensive award. It is presented annually at the NFL Honors ceremony during Super Bowl week. While other organizations (such as the PFWA and Sporting News) issue their versions, the AP award is the historical standard for Hall of Fame consideration.
2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Favorites
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Myles Garret – Cleveland Browns | -50000 |
| All Other Players | +17500 or Higher |
Myles Garrett
During the 2025 NFL regular season, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett delivered one of the most dominant individual performances in league history. To illuminate, he broke the all-time single-season sack record with 23.0 sacks. He surpassed the previous record of 22.5 sacks held by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021) by taking down Joe Burrow in the final game of the season on January 4, 2026.
Garrett is the heavy sports betting favorite to win his second AP Defensive Player of the Year award at the NFL Honors ceremony on February 5, 2026, where he has the closing betting odds. In turn, he leads all other DPOY candidates in the NFL by a wide margin.
As of February 2, 2026, Garrett has already secured several prestigious honors for his 2025 performance. Including being the AP First Team All-Pro, earning his fifth career selection to the first team. He was the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett was voted as the league’s top defender by the Pro Football Writers of America.
Also, he was the Sporting News DPOY, voted by his peers as the top defensive player for the third consecutive year. Garrett was the PFF Dwight Stephenson Award-Named by Pro Football Focus as the best player in the NFL regardless of position.
Additionally, Garrett is a Pro Bowl Selection. He was named a starter for the seventh time in his career, though he has opted not to participate in the games to focus on the awards ceremony.
Furthermore, Garrett had several historic milestones reached in 2025. Garrett became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 100 career sacks during the 2025 season. Also, he is the first player in NFL history to record at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons. He recorded a season-high 5.0 sacks in a single game against the New England Patriots in Week 8.
Will Anderson Jr
Will Anderson Jr. is a star defensive end for the Houston Texans. Concurrently, he established himself as one of the premier defenders in the NFL. Coming off a dominant 2025 NFL Betting campaign, he was named a finalist for the 2025-26 NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award alongside Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons. In turn, Anderson anchored a Texans defense that ranked among the league’s best in yards and points allowed.
Anderson compiled several notable achievements in 2025. First, he recorded 12.0 sacks, 54 total tackles, and 20 tackles for loss (TFL) across 17 games. He generated 85–93 quarterback pressures (ranking among the top 3 in the NFL) and led the league with a 26.2% pass-rush win rate. Additionally, Anderson added 3.5 sacks in two playoff games before the New England Patriots eliminated the Texans in the Divisional Round. Finally, Anderson was named a Pro Bowl starter for the first time (his second overall selection) and earned PFWA All-NFL honors for the 2025 season.