Since 1971, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award has become one of the league’s most prestigious individual honors, reserved for defenders who dominate a season and anchor elite units.
From Lawrence Taylor terrorizing quarterbacks in the 1980s to modern pass-rush stars like Aaron Donald, J.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett, the award has consistently highlighted players who changed games on their own. With recent seasons producing record sack totals and lockdown coverage seasons, the historical leaderboard for DPOY has come back into focus.
What is the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Award in the NFL? Who Has Won the Award the Most?
The Defensive Player of the Year award is presented annually to the NFL’s most outstanding defensive player for that regular season.
As detailed by Pro Football Network, the honor has been awarded since 1971, when Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page became the first winner in the same season he also captured league MVP.
The award is presented at NFL Honors, held the week before the Super Bowl, alongside other Associated Press awards, including MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
DPOY winners are chosen based on regular-season performance, with voters recognizing players who consistently impact games through sacks, tackles, takeaways, coverage, and overall disruption. The list of recipients includes many of the most recognizable defensive stars in league history.
Lawrence Taylor captured the award three times with the New York Giants (1981, 1982, 1986), even pairing his 1986 DPOY with an MVP season. That’s the most. Others with 3 DPOY Awards include: J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald.
Watt matched that total during his peak with the Houston Texans. PFSN’s chronology shows Watt winning in 2012, 2014, and 2015, including a unanimous 2014 season in which he received all 50 Associated Press votes. StatMuse’s career stat line for Watt notes 114.5 sacks and 27 forced fumbles, numbers that underpin his three-time recognition.
Donald later joined the group of three-time winners as a dominant interior defender for the Los Angeles Rams, with DPOY awards in 2017, 2018, and 2020.
Donald, with 111.0 career sacks and 24 forced fumbles through 154 games, underscores how rare it is for a defensive tackle to produce edge-rusher levels of disruption.
Other Hall of Fame names on the list include Reggie White (2), Bruce Smith (2), Ray Lewis (2), Derrick Brooks (1), Ed Reed (1), and Troy Polamalu (1).
The award is not limited to one position group, but trends emerge from the historical data. Notably, linebackers have won the DPOY 17 times since 1971, more than any other position. Defensive ends are close behind with 15 wins, while defensive tackles have taken the honor 10 times.
Safeties and cornerbacks have also been recognized, with recent secondary winners including Stephon Gilmore in 2019 and Pat Surtain II in 2024.
StatMuse’s DPOY history confirms that Surtain’s 2024 campaign with the Denver Broncos followed a run of edge and front-seven winners such as Myles Garrett (2023), Nick Bosa (2022), T.J. Watt (2021), and Aaron Donald (2020).
