Second place, Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle.
As last season's League Defensive Player of the Year, Donald's dominance was truly terrifying. He continued the powerful momentum once built by Watt, securing back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Although Donald not only lost to Li Wei but also to Mahomes in the regular season MVP voting, this didn't impact his status among players.
On the contrary, precisely because defensive players are often ignored and undervalued, the strong rise of players like Watt and Donald has led players to rally together on behalf of the Defensive group, hoping the League would recognize the role defense plays in football. Donald has now become a brand-new symbol for this movement.
