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The chase for Defensive Player of the Year has taken on a new form, as the Week 5 games have come and gone.
Defensive stars Chandler Jones and TJ Watt have sadly been overtaken in this week's rankings, though Watt might have the better shot at returning to the top five. Jones, however, has been a tad too quiet to warrant his place on the rankings board.
Here's a look at the Week 5 Defensive Player of the Year rankings.
2021-22 NFL Defensive Player of The Year - Power Rankings after Week 5
The most surprising element is that of the production of Trevon Diggs from the Dallas Cowboys. The 2nd year cornerback has come out of nowhere and smashed all defensive expectations.
A new face in Matthew Judon has also finally found his way into the top five in a big way, while Javon Hargrave has been able to move up a spot. Haason Reddick has also pushed his way back into the top five after being absent since Week 3.
#5 Haason Reddick
21 tackles, 14 solo, 7 assisted, 6.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss resulting in -38 yards, 1 forced fumble.
Previous NFL DPOTY Rankings - (-)
Haason Reddick has made his way back into the top five after seemingly having a quiet week 4. The Carolina Panthers linebacker puts forth solid defensive numbers week after week.
His eight tackles and two sacks have launched him back into being considered one of the best defensive players in the game. Although the Panthers narrowly lost to the Eagles, Reddick and company should bounce back soon.
#4 Javon Hargrave
27 tackles, 13 solo, 14 assisted, 6 sacks, 7 tackles for loss resulting in -44 yard, 1 fumble recovery.
Previous NFL DPOTY Rankings - (4)
Javon Hargrave playing great defensive football might be one of the biggest reasons why the Philadelphia Eagles were able to stop the offensive prowess of the Carolina Panthers. His three tackles and one sack of Sam Darnold helped the Eagles pull out an upset win. Hargrave has now been able to leap up one spot in the Week 5 DPOTY rankings.
The hope is that Hargrave will continue to consistently chase down opposing quarterbacks to get the Eagles back in contention for the NFC East crown.
#3 Matthew Judon
20 tackles, solo, 8 assisted, 6.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, resulting in -37 yards, 1 fumble recovery.
Previous NFL DPOTY Rankings - (-)
Matthew Judon has impressed in his first five games. He has catapulted himself to the number three defensive player of the year position, effectively leapfrogging TJ Watt, who held the spot in Week 4.
Judon has been all over opposing quarterbacks. On top of sacking Tom Brady in Week 4, Judon also got after rookie Davis Mills with the Houston Texans. Week 1 was the only game where Judon was without a sack. He has consistently put forth a minimum of one sack per game since Week 2.
#2 Myles Garrett
21 tackles, 13 solo, 8 assisted, 7 sacks, 8 tackles for loss resulting in -43 yards, 1 pass defended.
Previous NFL DPOTY Rankings - (2)
Myles Garrett remains as one of the top five defensive players of the year but has fallen to number two, and there is a good reason for that.
The Cleveland Browns nearly got a win against the surging Los Angeles Chargers, but Justin Herbert's performance was too much for the Browns to handle.
Garrett did all he could when he was able to get to Herbert for a sack and seemingly played cornerback while defending a would-be pass. Garrett still leads the league in sacks and tackles for loss and should remain in the top three should his production remain the same.
#1 Trevon Diggs
18 tackles, 16 solo, 2 assisted, 10 passes defended, 6 interceptions, 1 TD, 100 interception yards.
Previous NFL DPOTY Rankings - (2)
A new defensive king in town has further driven home the fact that he belongs at the very top of the DPOTY rankings. Trevon Diggs has been playing like a man on a mission since securing his 6th interception against the New York Giants.
Diggs leads the league in interceptions and is the only player to now have double-digit passes defended. Should Diggs keep this pace, he will have astronomical numbers by the time the season ends.
