Being named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is one of the biggest career achievements for a defensive player. The award is presented during the annual NFL Honors in the week before the Super Bowl, as the NFL celebrates the achievements of players, coaches, and fans from the season.
Some players have been lucky enough to win the DPOY award several times, and the full list of winners features some of the best defensive players to have graced the league.
Full List of NFL Defensive Player of the Year Winners
The Defensive Player of the Year Award has been presented to the most outstanding defensive player in the NFL since 1971, when Minnesota Vikings DT Alan Page became the first winner of the prestigious award in the same year he won NFL MVP.
Since then, some of the most famous names in the game have lifted the award, including New York Giants LB Lawrence Taylor, who also won the award in the same year he was voted league MVP (1986).
Winners of the DPOY award have come from all over the defense, but the majority of winners have come from the linebacker position. Linebackers have won the award 17 times since 1971, with defensive ends coming in at a close second with 15 wins. Defensive tackles also feature heavily, lifting the award 10 times.
Some names have even been lucky enough to feature multiple times on the list of DPOY winners. Taylor, J.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald have all won the award three times, which is the most of anyone on the list. Joe Greene, Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, and Reggie White have all won it twice.
In 2014, Watt unanimously won the award, receiving 50 out of the possible 50 votes from the Associated Press. Watt’s brother, T.J. Watt, also won the award in 2021.
Here is the full list of NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners:
- 1971 – Alan Page, DT, Minnesota Vikings
- 1972 – Joe Greene, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1973 – Dick Anderson, S, Miami Dolphins
- 1974 – Joe Greene, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1975 – Mel Blount, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1976 – Jack Lambert, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1977 – Harvey Martin, DE, Dallas Cowboys
- 1978 – Randy Gradishar, LB, Denver Broncos
- 1979 – Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1980 – Lester Hayes, CB, Oakland Raiders
- 1981 – Lawrence Taylor, LB, New York Giants
- 1982 – Lawrence Taylor, LB, New York Giants
- 1983 – Doug Betters, DE, Miami Dolphins
- 1984 – Kenny Easley, S, Seattle Seahawks
- 1985 – Mike Singletary, LB, Chicago Bears
- 1986 – Lawrence Taylor, LB, New York Giants
- 1987 – Reggie White, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
- 1988 – Mike Singletary, LB, Chicago Bears
- 1989 – Keith Millard, DT, Minnesota Vikings
- 1990 – Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills
- 1991 – Pat Swilling, LB, New Orleans Saints
- 1992 – Cortez Kennedy, DT, Seattle Seahawks
- 1993 – Rod Woodson, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1994 – Deion Sanders, CB, San Francisco 49ers
- 1995 – Bryce Paup, LB, Buffalo Bills
- 1996 – Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills
- 1997 – Dana Stubblefield, DT, San Francisco 49ers
- 1998 – Reggie White, DE, Green Bay Packers
- 1999 – Warren Sapp, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2000 – Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens
- 2001 – Michael Strahan, DE, New York Giants
- 2002 – Derrick Brooks, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2003 – Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens
- 2004 – Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens
- 2005 – Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago Bears
- 2006 – Jason Taylor, DE, Miami Dolphins
- 2007 – Bob Sanders, S, Indianapolis Colts
- 2008 – James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2009 – Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay Packers
- 2010 – Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2011 – Terrell Suggs, LB, Baltimore Ravens
- 2012 – J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
- 2013 – Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
- 2014 – J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
- 2015 – J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
- 2016 – Khalil Mack, DE, Oakland Raiders
- 2017 – Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
- 2018 – Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
- 2019 – Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots
- 2020 – Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
- 2021 – T.J. Watt, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2022 – Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers
- 2023 – Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns
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