Who Won the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year?

The answer to who won the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year may surprise you.
Click to find out who took home the honors this year.

J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt, who plays for the Houston Texans, has been named the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. This is the third time in his career that he has won this award. He is the only player in NFL history to win the award three times.

His Stats

In 2021, JJ Watt had 5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, and 29 quarterback hits in 16 games. He also had an interception and two forced fumbles. For his career, he has 101 sacks, 156 tackles for a loss, and 292 quarterback hits. He also has 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

His Impact

In a season defined by uncertainty, one thing was certain: J.J. Watt is still the best defensive player in the NFL.

The Houston Texans star was named the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year on Saturday night, becoming just the third player in NFL history to win the award three times. He joins Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White as the only players to achieve that feat.

Watt, who turns 32 next month, is coming off one of his best seasons yet. He had 15 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception in 16 games for the Texans. He also had a touchdown catch on a short pass from Deshaun Watson during a Week 1 win over the Jaguars.

Aaron Donald

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been named the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in history to win the award three times. Donald was also named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

His Stats

In 2021, Donald was once again named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in NFL history to earn the award in three consecutive seasons. He was also named First-Team All-Pro for the fifth time in his career.

Donald finished the 2021 season with 15 sacks, four forced fumbles, one interception, and one touchdown. He also had a career-high 34 tackles, which led all defensive linemen.

His Impact

When you talk about the Rams defensive line, the first name that usually comes to mind is Aaron Donald. And for good reason. He’s one of the most dominant forces in the NFL, and he’s coming off another incredible season in which he racked up 13.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. He was a big reason why the Rams had the best defense in the NFL this past season, and he was rightfully rewarded with the Defensive Player of the Year award for his efforts.

But Donald is more than just a sack machine. He’s also an incredibly disruptive force against the run, and he often requires double-teams in order to be contained. This allows other members of the Rams’ defensive line, like Michael Brockers and Morgan Fox, to thrive. In short, Donald is one of the most complete defensive players in the NFL, and he’s a big reason why the Rams are always near the top of the league in terms of team defense.

Myles Garrett

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has been named the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the NFL announced Wednesday. Garrett is the first Brown to win the award since it was first handed out in 1971.

His Stats

In his four seasons in the NFL, Garrett has recorded 133 tackles, 42.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times (2017, 2018, 2020) and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2020.

His Impact

2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a two-time consensus All-American. He was drafted first overall by the Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Since joining the league, Garrett has been one of its most productive and dominant edge rushers. In his rookie season, he recorded seven sacks, 39 tackles, and one forced fumble. The following year, he notched 13.5 sacks (tied for sixth in the NFL), 35 tackles, and three forced fumbles en route to his first Pro Bowl selection. In 2019, Garrett was suspended for six games after striking then-Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with Rudolph’s own helmet during a brawl; he still amassed 10 sacks and 28 tackles in only 10 games that season.

Other Candidates

While J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans is the favorite to win the award, there are several other defensive players who had outstanding seasons and are deserving of consideration. These include Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, and Khalil Mack of the Chicago Bears.

Their Stats

The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is a highly coveted award, given to the player who has shown the most exceptional defensive skills over the course of the season. This year, there are several deserving candidates who could take home the title. Here’s a look at their statistics:

Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams: 86 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles

Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts: 113 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 interceptions

Deion Jones, LB, Atlanta Falcons: 97 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 interception

Their Impact

When it comes to choosing the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, there are a few things that voters tend to look at – primarily, how big of an impact a player had on their team’s defense. This can be measured in a number of ways, but some of the most common include sacks, tackles for loss, and interceptions.

Over the course of the 2020 NFL season, there were a number of players who made a significant impact on their team’s defense. Here are some of the other candidates for the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award:

-Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett was one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL this season. He led the league in sacks with 12.5 and was second in tackles for loss with 18. He also had an interception and forced four fumbles.
-Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams: Aaron Donald had another phenomenal season for the Rams. He was second in the league in sacks with 11.5 and also had 17 tackles for loss. He forced two fumbles and had one interception.
-Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff continued to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season. He threw for 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns.

The Winner

The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He is the third Rams player to win the award, joining Aaron Donald and Brock Marion.