Aaron Donald put together arguably the best season ever by a defensive tackle in 2018, setting the single-season sacks record for a player at his position. His 20.5 sacks led the league, as did his 25 tackles for loss and 41 quarterback hits.
He ran away with his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award and was voted the best player in the NFL by his peers. Entering 2019, he believes he could have his best season yet thanks to the work he’s gotten in training camp.
Donald is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year for a third straight season – which would be the first time in NFL history – and also lead the league in sacks again. At Bovada, his odds to win Defensive Player of the Year sit at 2-1, ahead of Khalil Mack (5-1), J.J. Watt (8-1), Von Miller (10-1) and Myles Garrett (11-1).
As for leading the NFL in sacks, he’s a 5-2 favorite. Watt is second (11-2), followed by Mack (6-1), Garrett (9-1) and Miller (11-1). It’s easy to see why Donald would be the favorite in both categories, too, after he blew away the competition a season ago.
With the benefit of training camp and all the work he’s gotten in this offseason, Donald will be in the best shape he’s been in for the season opener. If he can avoid a slow start – last season, he had no sacks or TFL in the first three games – he’ll have a great chance to win his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.
