Best bets to lead NFL in tackles, sacks, interceptions
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.