Skip to content

Best bets to lead NFL in tackles, sacks, interceptions

Diamond Images / Getty

On Thursday, we discussed the best bets to win Defensive Player of the Year, an all-or-nothing "MVP" of sorts for NFL defenders.

But what about the stat kings who may not be all-around values but could lead the league in one particular area? Here, we run through our best bets for each major defensive category:

Tackles

PLAYER ODDS
Darius Leonard 4-1
Leighton Vander Esch 5-1
Luke Kuechly 6-1
Bobby Wagner 13-2
Blake Martinez 7-1
Jaylon Smith 12-1
Roquan Smith 12-1
Tremaine Edwards 12-1
Joe Schobert 14-1
Fred Warner 16-1
Myles Jack 16-1
Anthony Hitchens 16-1
C.J. Mosley 20-1
Cory Littleton 22-1
Deion Jones 25-1
Derwin James 25-1
Devin Bush 25-1
Devin White 25-1
Kiko Alonso 25-1
Kwon Alexander 25-1
Landon Collins 25-1
Preston Brown 25-1
Demario Davis 28-1
Vontaze Burfict 33-1
Alec Ogletree 40-1
Sean Lee 50-1

Bobby Wagner, LB, Seahawks (13-2)

Wagner led the league with 168 tackles in 2016, and then proceeded to earn Pro Football Focus' highest tackling grade in each of the past two seasons. He's no long shot, but he's the safest bet to finish near the top of the leaderboard.

Blake Martinez, LB, Packers (7-1)

Martinez has ranked among the top six linebackers in run-defense snaps for two straight years - the only player to do so - and he's finished second in tackles both seasons. The opportunity is there for him to seize the top spot in 2019.

Devin White, LB, Buccaneers (25-1)

Would it really be that crazy for another rookie to lead the league in tackles? It happened last year with Darius Leonard, and White was the first inside linebacker taken in the top five since Marvin Jones in 1993. He's got the talent to shine right away.

Sacks

PLAYER ODDS
Aaron Donald 3-1
J.J. Watt 9-2
Khalil Mack 9-2
Von Miller 15-2
Chandler Jones 10-1
DeMarcus Lawrence 12-1
Joey Bosa 12-1
Myles Garrett 14-1
Bradley Chubb 16-1
Danielle Hunter 18-1
Frank Clark 18-1
Chris Jones 20-1
Calais Campbell 22-1
Cameron Jordan 22-1
DeForest Buckner 25-1
Dee Ford 25-1
Ryan Kerrigan 28-1
Yannick Ngakoue 28-1
Everson Griffen 33-1
T.J. Watt 33-1
Fletcher Cox 40-1
Nick Bosa 40-1
Geno Atkins 50-1
Jadeveon Clowney 50-1
Jurrell Casey 50-1
Quinnen Williams 50-1
Trey Flowers 50-1
Za'Darius Smith 50-1
Akiem Hicks 66-1
Kenny Clark 80-1
Leonard Williams 100-1
Sheldon Richardson 100-1

Joey Bosa, DL, Chargers (12-1)

Don't let Bosa's injury-filled 2018 wipe away your memory of his dominant first two seasons, when he combined for 24 sacks and was among the NFL's most efficient pass-rushers. L.A.'s elite secondary will force quarterbacks to hold the ball longer than they'd like to with Bosa charging off the edge.

Chris Jones, DL, Chiefs (20-1)

I wrote about Jones as a best bet to win Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, so I won't get into too much detail here. But his DPOY case is bolstered by a high pressure rate and elite sack numbers, so 20-1 here feels far too cheap - especially after he tied for third in the category a year ago.

Fletcher Cox, DL, Eagles (40-1)

If it weren't for Donald, we'd be talking more about Cox as possibly the game's premier interior pass-rusher. He finished with a career-high 11 sacks last year and owned the third-highest PFF pass-rush productivity grade (9.3) behind Donald (11.5) and Jones (9.6). He's due for a "household name" season.

Interceptions

PLAYER ODDS
Eddie Jackson 10-1
Darius Slay 12-1
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix 12-1
Kyle Fuller 12-1
Damontae Kazee 14-1
Kevin Byard 14-1
Denzel Ward 14-1
Derwin James 14-1
Donte Jackson 14-1
Earl Thomas 14-1
Jalen Ramsey 14-1
Marcus Peters 14-1
Casey Hayward 16-1
Jordan Poyer 16-1
Marshon Lattimore 16-1
A.J. Bouye 18-1
Damarious Randall 18-1
Harrison Smith 18-1
Xavien Howard 18-1
Eric Weddle 20-1
Curtis Riley 22-1
John Johnston 22-1
Shawn Williams 22-1
Jaire Alexander 25-1
Tyrann Mathieu 25-1
Malik Hooker 28-1
Minkah Fitzpatrick 28-1
Aqib Talib 33-1
Jamal Adams 33-1
Keanu Neal 33-1
Richard Sherman 33-1
Stephon Gilmore 33-1
Landon Collins 40-1
Josh Norman 40-1
Malcolm Jenkins 40-1
Xavier Rhodes 40-1
Adrian Amos 50-1
Alec Ogletree 50-1
Byron Jones 50-1
Rasual Douglas 50-1

Eddie Jackson, S, Bears (10-1)

Jackson broke out in his second year with six INTs and two touchdowns, finishing with PFF's highest overall coverage grade. The former cornerback has elite ball skills and, even with the shortest odds, has value in a crowded field.

Earl Thomas, S, Ravens (14-1)

Thomas boasted a top-10 coverage grade over the past two years when healthy, and he'll now fill the "center field" role in Wink Martindale's aggressive defense, aided by elite cornerback play on the outside. Thomas is not Ed Reed, but he'll do his best impression this year for Baltimore.

Xavien Howard, CB, Dolphins (18-1)

Interceptions are one of the least consistent stats from year to year, but Howard is one of six players to record at least four in each of the past two seasons while tying for the league lead in 2018 (seven). And of those six players, Howard is tied for the longest odds on this board and could return value as a dart throw.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox