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5 Dark Horse Candidates For 2014 NFL Defensive Player of the Year

5 Dark Horse Defensive Player of the Year Candidates

JJ Watt Houston Texans
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

For argument’s sake, let’s say Houston Texans DE JJ Watt is the fron-trunner for this year’s Defensive Player of the Year. His 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 59 tackles even have him among MVP discussions. Oh, and then there are five total TDs – including three on offense. However, he was far from the only great defensive player in 2014. Here is a look at five dark horse candidates for Defensive Player of the Year.

Honorable Mentions

Patrick Peterson Arizona Cardinals
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions

Patrick Peterson Arizona Cardinals
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

It’s very tough to weigh the value and impact of a player, especially across positions and defensive schemes. For that reason, here are five players who were on the bubble of candidacy that I felt were just short of making the top five: Denver Broncos LB Von Miller, Philadelphia Eagles DT Fletcher Cox, Detroit Lions LB DeAndre Levy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy and Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson.

5. New England Patrios CB Darrelle Revis

Darrelle Revis New England Patriots
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

5. New England Patriots CB Darrelle Revis

Darrelle Revis New England Patriots
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Deciding between Peterson and Revis for the fifth spot was difficult. They each had very similar years – Peterson had a couple more tackles and Revis had a few more passes defended. In the end, Revis played for a secondary that allowed fewer yards per game than Peterson while playing with a less talented group, which means Revis had a greater value to his team. A down year for Revis still saw two picks, 14 passes defended and 41 tackles.

4. Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh Detroit Lions
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

4. Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh Detroit Lions
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit had the second best total defense and the best rush defense in the NFL in 2014. Leading that group was Suh, who had 8.5 sacks (the most among DTs), three passes defended and 46 tackles. Opposing offensive line's primary goal was to stop Suh, which allowed his fellow linemen like Ziggy Ansah to really make an impact as well. His reputation as a dirty player will hurt his voting, however.

3. Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly

Luke Kuechly Carolina Panthers
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

3. Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly

Luke Kuechly Carolina Panthers
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Since entering the league in 2012, Kuechly has won both the Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. In his third year, he hopes to repeat the latter award. Kuechly recorded 105 tackles with 58 assists on top of three sacks and 13 passes defended in 2014. Seasons like this are becoming the norm for Kuechly, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him win a few more DPOYs before he retires.

2. Seattle Seahawks CB Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman Seattle Seahawks
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2. Seattle Seahawks CB Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman Seattle Seahawks
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Although 2014 wasn’t Sherman's best season, cornerback is the hot position right now and Seattle is the hot team. Both of those will boost him near the top of this year’s voting. Sherman had four picks, one forced fumble, eight passes defended and 45 tackles this season. Seattle finished No. 1 in the league in pass defense and total defense, being the only team in the league to stay under 200 and 300 yards per game, respectively.

1. Kansas City Chiefs LB Justin Houston

Justin Houston Kansas City Chiefs
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

1. Kansas City Chiefs LB Justin Houston

Justin Houston Kansas City Chiefs
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a shame more people outside of Kansas City aren’t talking about Houston. He had 59 tackles, five passes defended, four forced fumbles – oh, and 22 sacks this season. That’s only half a sack shy of tying Michael Strahan’s all-time record. Houston has more sacks, as many tackles and forced fumbles as Watt, but he didn’t record a single TD. He’s not getting the recognition he deserves, but he truly has the best chance to beat out Watt for DPOY.

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