2024 Pre-Season Rank #34, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #41, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #55, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #55, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #54.  Peak Period 2016-20

It is usually easy to rank former Defensive Players of the Year, but as we are ten years deep into the career of Stephon Gilmore, we now know what we have. After a decent run in Buffalo, Gilmore had an out-of-nowhere DPOY year in 2019 (though it did follow a good 2018), though he has not matched that year since.

Since then, Gilmore has been a hired gun, playing one year each in Carolina, Indianapolis, and Dallas, and after a one-year deal with Minnesota, he is looking for work in 2025.  His veteran presence still makes him valuable, but bouncing between teams could impact his perception.

2024 Pre-Season Rank #11: 2023 Pre-Season Rank #15, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #24, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #68, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #102.  Peak Period: 2019-23.

Watching T.J. Watt rocket through this rank reminds us of how his older brother, J.J., did the same thing.

A Pittsburgh Steeler for all of his eight seasons, Watt has been the game’s top pass-rusher through most of it, winning three Sack Titles (2020, 2021 & 2023), two Tackles For Loss Titles (2020 & 2021), and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.  Watt has been so dominant that he was the runner-up for the DPOY twice (in 2020 & 2023), third in 2019, and fourth last year.  He also led the NFL in Forced Fumbles twice (2019 & 2024) and last season joined the 100-Sack club.

Watt is Canton-bound, and the only sad thing is that his bust can’t be beside J.J..

2024 Pre-Season Rank #2023 Pre-Season Rank: #53, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #63, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #83, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #94. Peak Period: 2012-16

We argued that Lavonte David was one of the most underrated players of the 2010s, and perhaps in all football history.  Let's say that is true, as underrated players (in their time) have made the Hall, but it is challenging for the career Buccaneer to crack the plane that will give him Canton consideration.   It doesn’t help that. David doesn’t have the sexy stats or even the Pro Bowls (he has only made one)

Hopefully, the Bucs will honor him in some capacity when his career concludes.

2024 Pre-Season Rank #57, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #87, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #102 2021 Pre-Season Rank #102, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #90.  Peak Period: 2018-19/2022-24

We said a couple of years ago that “Hunter is a pick for a lot of people to have a breakout defensive campaign, and he is coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowl and 14.5 Sack years”.  That didn’t happen, as he missed the entire 2020 season with a neck injury and was not great in 2021.  Healthy in 2022, Hunter responded with two straight Pro Bowl years and is coming off his highest Sack number (16) and a league-leading 23 Tackles for Loss.

After eight years in Minnesota, Hunter is now in his second year as a Houston Texan, and if he can build off of his last two years, Hunter could quietly make a Hall of Fame run.