Predicting all the NFL awards for the 2019/20 season

Defensive Player of the Year:

1. Von Miller

2. Deion Jones

3. Myles Garrett

Just outside: Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald

I know I have put his name among my top candidates for years, but I think this is the year Von Miller will finally receive the award he is so deserving of. The Broncos outside linebacker could have easily taken home the trophy twice already. With Bradley Chubb as that power-rusher off the opposite end, some help up the middle by third-round pick Dre’Mont Jones out of Ohio State and an offense that should sustain drives, I could see Miller flirt personal bests in sacks and he could put up a lot of TFLs as well. I don’t quite know yet how they will be split up, but I’m predicting 30 combined sacks between Miller and Chubb.

I already had Jones as a dark horse candidate to win this award ahead of last season, but he went on IR with a bunch of other Falcons after a physical week one game against the Eagles, and he wasn’t quite himself when he did return. You can question the amount of dependable pass-rushers and how some of the guys in the secondary will develop, but I still think this could be one of the fastest defenses in the league. Jones will not only easily give you triple-digit tackles, but he has a nose for the ball and is an excellent coverage player. As the Falcons re-emerge in the South, Jones will start to gain some recognition nationally.

And then my third guy is the first overall pick from 2017. Myles Garrett obviously is an immense talent, but this is not just about the development I see for him coming into year three, but also the players he has around him. With the additions of Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson to go with an underrated Larry Ogunjobi, this D-line is loaded with a disruptive player. That means a guy who has said himself that he has limited himself to two moves as a pass rusher will see plenty of one-on-one opportunities with an overhauled arsenal of maneuvers. The 13.5 sacks from last season should definitely be topped in 2019.

Aaron Donald obviously still in the mix, but as you can see in my playoff predictions, I don’t think the Rams will win enough to have their players receive trophies and because they won’t be ahead as much, AD shouldn’t quite put up the numbers he has done these last two years. Mack’s Bears will be a fringe playoff team to me as well. Double-digit sacks and a few forced fumbles are a guarantee, but if opposing teams are smart, they will limit the time their quarterbacks hold the ball and how many chances they take downfield against the Chicago D.