The votes are in.
To draw a line under the 2024 NFL season, we are handing out our end-of-year awards.
One UK-based fan of each NFL franchise had one vote in every category.
Yesterday Saquon Barkley won our Offensive Player of the Year award, and today we reveal our Defensive Player of the Year.
The voting was split across a wide range of players so it was a very close contest!
Winner – Patrick Surtain II [7 votes]
The Denver Broncos cornerback had a stellar fourth season, earning first team All-Pro honours for the second time.
He logged a career-high four interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six, and his 132 interception return yards led the league. He also posted 11 pass break-ups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
In allowing the fewest receiving yards – 306 – among qualifying cornerbacks and just 66 after the catch, he helped to transform Vance Joseph’s defense into one of the league’s stingiest.
Unsurprisingly, he was targeted on just 10% of his snaps. But when the ball did come his way, he shut it down. He conceded just 27 yards to Ja’Marr Chase and held DK Metcalf, Mike Evans, Garrett Wilson and Jerry Jeudy under 30 yards too.
Surtain has already been named the Pro Football Writers of America’s Defensive Player of the Year. He is also widely tipped to take the main Associated Press DPOY award on 6 February.
However, we all know the first-ever HuddleUK title is the big one!
Runner-Up – Trey Hendrickson [5 votes]
Since leaving the Saints in 2021, with only one season above 4.5 sacks, Hendrickson has been relentless. In his four years as a Cincinnati Bengal, he has 57 sacks. Only Myles Garrett and TJ Watt have more in that time.
Known for his ability to get in the zone and ignore unwanted distractions, ‘Blackout Trey’ led the NFL with his second successive 17.5-sack haul. His 92 pressures also topped the charts.
The defensive end was the only guy on a poor Bengals defense to come out with any credit this season. His two stand-out games brought four sacks against the Raiders and 3.5 against the Steelers.
The question now is, will Cincinnati extend their best pass rusher and pay him what he is worth?
Third Place – Zack Baun [4 votes]
Another player to excel after four quiet seasons in New Orleans, Baun signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia in 2024.
Playing as a traditional off-ball linebacker with the Eagles certainly suited him. In 16 starts, he recorded 92 solo and 151 total tackles, good enough for third and sixth in the league respectively. He also had 3.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.
As the only NFL player this century with at least 150 total tackles and five forced fumbles in a season, Baun was understandably selected to his first Pro Bowl.
I assume he will be locked down by Philly but if not, Baun will surely ‘get his bag’ in free agency.
