3 biggest DPOY candidates for the 2022 season Posted on July 14, 2022July 14, 2022 by Henrique Bulio Unofficially, the biggest individual honor that a defensive player can get in a given season is the Defensive Player of the Year award, as the MVP almost always goes to an offensive player – the last defensive player to get the honor was Lawrence Taylor, back in 1986. Simply put, the league thinks that offensive players are more important than defensive players, which is not a surprise considering how they make more money and how TV ratings go up when games have a lot of points. But we all know you can’t be a champion without a good defense. Check out the three favorites for the DPOY award in 2022: #1 – Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns Is this the year where Garrett finally gets the award? The Browns star again will share the duties with a fantastic defensive line and he should make the most of the individual opportunities he’ll be presented. He ended last season with 16 sacks but there’s potential for him to do even more this year – his 33 quarterback hits were career-high last season. Most sacks in #Browns franchise history Clay Matthews – 62.0Myles Garrett – 58.5Michael Dean Perry – 51.5Rob Burnett – 40.5Carl Hairston – 37.5 — NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) July 9, 2022 #2 – Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers Two years removed from his ACL surgery, Nick Bosa will push himself to the hardest level in 2022 as a positive season can net him a contract extension to make him the highest-paid defender in the league. He was a brute force in 2021 returning from a serious knee injury, and his talent was in full display as his team fell short of a Super Bowl berth. https://twitter.com/the5eraa/status/1543662407699943424 #3 – T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers The reigning defensive player of the year might have a difficult time repeating only because he’s not going to have much help as the top 2 on this list. Watt is looking to repeat his brother’s feat and win the DPOY award for a second time. He has more than enough talent to do so, with his combination of quickness, blend and speed always making life insufferable for the opposing tackles. Can @_TJWatt be a multiple-time DPOY like big bro? pic.twitter.com/BAqouhhPAz — NFL (@NFL) July 5, 2022 More NFL News: Myles Garrett Net Worth: Contract, Salary And Early Life Steelers’ T.J. Watt named NFL Defensive Player of the Year 49ers pick up DE Nick Bosa’s 5th-year option