NFL 2018/19: Predicting the NFL Honours for the 2018 Regular Season

Defensive Player of the Year - Aaron Donald, DT, LA Rams

Donald was dominant on defence

The 2018 Aaron Donald reminded football fans of the 2014 JJ Watt, who was infamously snubbed for the MVP honours for Aaron Rodgers that year. Watt, who himself had an amazing 2018 season and is the next best defensive player in the league, had one of the most electric seasons for a defensive player in 2014.

Donald replicated the same in 2019. Donald, the only unanimous First-Team All-Pro selection this year, should be in MVP conversation but he isn't because the league is offence-oriented.

If Watt, who also got his fifth First-Team All-Pro selection, couldn't beat out a regular Rodgers 2014 season there is no way in the world that Donald will beat Mahomes or Drew Brees' out of the world performances in 2018.

Donald, being an interior defensive lineman, raked up 20.5 sacks, the same number Watt reach in 2014. If you want to know why Donald deserves the DPOY just see the below comparison chart of 2012/14 Watt and 2018 Donald, they are eerily similar, except of course Watt's 3 TDs as a TE keeps him above Donald in MVP conversations.

#Texans DE @JJWatt had completely dominant seasons in 2012 and 2014 where he should have won the NFL MVP award. If he couldn’t win with these numbers, it may never go to a defensive player. pic.twitter.com/MyTv4jjb6B

— Texans PR (@TexansPR) January 3, 2019