All preseason games have finished , roster deadline day has passed with every team down to 53 active players, and the 2024 NFL season is less than a week away. Starting next Thursday, there will be NFL action on a weekly basis through early February.
NFL awards races should be close once again in 2024, including Defensive Player of the Year. The last three winners are all set to perform well again this season and multiple other players will likely be in contention. Here's how the race looks ahead of the regular season, with odds from BetMGM :
2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds
The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year is fresh off his fourth first-team All-Pro appearance in 2023. He led the league in sacks last season with 19 and should be in for another strong season in 2024.
Pittsburgh's defense should be a top-10 unit once again with returning stars like Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, an upgrade at linebacker with Patrick Queen coming over from Baltimore , and development from defensive lineman Keeanu Benton .
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Parsons finished top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting for the third season in a row in 2023. The Cowboys star finished last season tied for fifth in sacks with 14 and third in pressures with 87.
Dallas lost three of its top five pass rushers by sacks from last season. New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will need to rely on Parsons to power the pass rush and that'll make him a contender in this award race once again.
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Las Vegas signed one of the top defensive players in free agency - defensive tackle Christian Wilkins - who is one of the best teammates Crosby's had along the defensive line. Crosby posted a career-high last year in sacks with 14.5 and led the league in pressures with 100.
Crosby's a star in both pass rush and run defense and has earned a reputation as an every-down player. He's by far the best player on Las Vegas' defense and will be crucial to the Raiders playing well enough to contend in the AFC West.
The defending Defensive Player of the Year returns in 2024 to lead one of the most talented defenses in the league. Cleveland gave up just 270.2 yards per game in 2023, the fewest since Seattle in 2014. Garrett posted 14 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 75 pressures in 16 games during that historically good year.
Jim Schwartz is back again as defensive coordinator and has one of the best secondaries in the NFL. The Browns may not replicate what they did last year but should be a top unit with Garrett as their best player.
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year had double-digit sacks for the third year in a row last season. He posted a career-high in pressures (85) as the 49ers finished top-10 in points and yards allowed per game last season.
San Francisco signed Leonard Floyd as the other edge opposite Bosa in 2024 and tackle Javon Hargrave had one of his best years last season. New defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen is an in-house promotion who could return the unit to the style deployed by former coordinators DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh, who Bosa shined under.
Next five: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions (+1000); Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (+2500); Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars, Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans, Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears (+3000)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons lead close 2024 odds
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