Halfway through the season, NFL Insider John Clayton has Browns defensive end Myles Garrett as the Defensive Player of the Year halfway through the season, over Steelers T.J. Watt.
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Clayton tells The PM Team that Watt is in the mix along with Raiders’ Max Crosby and LA. Rams Aaron Donald.
“The difference is, here’s Myles Garrett right now, I think what, he has 13 sacks at the half season mark, he’s on pace to set an NFL record for sacks,” said Clayton as the reason for him picking Garrett.
Clayton says that even if it takes all 17 games for Garrett to break the re4cord, he still thinks it should be recognized without an asterisk.
Watt has 11.5 half sacks through the first eight weeks of the season, and missed the team’s third game of the season against Cincinnati with a groin injury.
In addition to missing that game, the Steelers have already had their bye week and Cleveland’s is coming up in Week 13.
Garrett is a great player, but has played two games more than Watt and only have 1.5 sacks more than T.J.
You could easily see Watt catching up and overtaking Garrett before the season is over.
But just because you lead the league in sacks doesn’t mean you get the Defensive Player of the Year.
Watt led the league in sacks last season with 15 and was still beat out by Donald.