Every NFL fan knows that Myles Garrett is one of the best pass rushers in all of football. Garrett has recorded 16 sacks two seasons in a row and has been named first-team All-Pro twice already in his six-year career. But if you thought Garrett had already reached his ceiling, think again.
With Jim Schwartz entering his first season as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, PFN Insider Adam Caplan expects a huge season from Garrett.
Myles Garrett Defensive Player of the Year Betting Odds
In his latest NFL Notebook, Caplan mentions that Schwartz’s defensive scheme maximizes the talent of its edge rushers. Schwartz employs a “wide-9” front, where his defensive ends line up outside both opposing offensive tackles, enabling them to get up the field faster.
Caplan mentions the history of success that defensive ends have had under both Schwartz and veteran DL coach Jim Washburn, who was hired as a defensive consultant for the Browns, in this scheme.
While this list includes names like Jevon Kearse, Mario Williams, Ziggy Ansah, and Jason Babin, each having career seasons under Schwartz, none of them are as talented as Garrett.
In his first season in Schwartz’s wide-9 front, is this the year that Garrett wins his first Defensive Player of the Year award? The oddsmakers certainly think that Garrett has a really good shot. He is currently +750 at DraftKings Sportsbook, second in odds behind Micah Parsons at +650.
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:2023-24-futures/topic:nfl-2023-24-awards-defensive-player-of-the-year/variant:1/sportsbook:draftkings?id=483d5aec-3748-4a43-a7df-56b56b8cf0c3″]Not only does the new defensive scheme work in Garrett’s favor but so do the historical trends.
In the last decade, five DPOY winners have been edge rushers, including the previous two in Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt, and since 2014, only three winners had odds longer than +1000 entering the season.
Recent history tells you that edge rushers at the top of the odds leaderboard are the safest bets for DPOY. That, combined with playing in Schwartz’s wide-9 defensive front, makes Garrett a good bet for DPOY.
For all of PFN’s picks, make sure to check out our official Defensive Player of the Year Odds. PFN’s Trey Wingo, David Bearman, and Jason Katz teamed up with Chris “The Bear” Fallica to break down everything you need to know surrounding the award.