NFL futures: Best bets to challenge Myles Garrett for DPOY

The debate over who is better between Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt was turned up last winter when the Cleveland Browns defensive end won the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award by a 165-140 voting margin . Now both players are back for a new season, and the betting odds for who will win DPOY are set — so who will you back with your bet?

Garrett is listed at +800 (8-1) odds at DraftKings to successfully defend the DPOY crown. However, he doesn't have the shortest odds of winning the award for the 2024 season. And, not surprisingly, a few players he narrowly edged in voting last year are his competition with bettors.

Here's a look at Garrett's competition.

Nick Bosa, DL, San Francisco 49ers: +850

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year got off to a sluggish start in 2023 and the Niners' pass rush was visibly not as lethal as it had been in the past. Sports Illustrated notes that the distraction of contract negotiations that bled into Week 1 did Bosa no favors, even though he still had a solid season down the stretch. Now, he is due for a strong start in 2024.

"Now that he gets back to his routine, it should see him have increased sacks and pressures that allow him to back his dominating standard," SI says. "The new cast of defensive linemen should also help him as well as new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. All of this change along with Bosa's routine returning should give him that full-speed start that we are accustomed to seeing from him."

Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders: +700

It can't go unnoticed that a supporting cast makes a difference on defense. Crosby ended his 2023 campaign with more sacks than award-winner Garrett, but Cleveland arguably had the best defense in the league for the bulk of the season. It has been argued for a few seasons now that Crosby needs more help in the Raiders D-corps if he's going to win DPOY, and he could get that in 204 with the additions of Christian Wilkins, Tyree Wilson and Malcolm Koonce, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks writes.

"With an upgraded supporting cast around him, Crosby becomes nearly impossible to block off the edge," he writes. "The veteran is a rare player as an energetic pass rusher with strength and power to win with force and the athleticism to utilize finesse moves to get to the quarterback."

If you're looking for an underrated pick in the top-five favored DPOY candidates, Crosby is an excellent pick.

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys: +550

The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year — who is actually a co-favorite on the DK odds board — has been on the cusp of winning DPOY all three seasons he has been in the league. He finished with at least 13 sacks all three of those years and is coming off of totaling a career-high 33 QB hits.

Newsweek notes that Parson may need to be even better in 2024 if he wants to finally win DPOY. BetMGM sees that as a real possibility, however, with additions to Dallas' coaching staff.

"While Parsons hasn’t seen any game action since the start of the preseason, reports suggest he is thriving in training camp under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer," the betting site says.

T.J. Watt, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers: +550

Watt looks to follow in big brother J.J.'s footsteps and win multiple DPOY honors, and he was not happy about narrowly losing to Garrett in 2023. He likely also wasn't a fan of Parsons throwing shade in his direction. So where does that leave the betting co-favorite heading into the 2024 season?

He led the league with 19 sacks last season while finishing with 68 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback hits, eight passes defended, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, an interception and a touchdown. (Coincidentally, that TD was a fumble recovery against Garrett's Browns.) If he continues at this high level, the 2024 DPOY award is his for the taking.

"After being snubbed this offseason, and Parsons making his thoughts known, Watt has plenty of bulletin board material to use as motivation," WBOY News says.