2017 NFL Awards: Our Writers See Tom Brady as MVP

Defensive Player of the Year: Calais Campbell (7)

Runner-ups: Aaron Donald (6), Jalen Ramsey (3), Harrison Smith (2), Demarcus Lawrence (1), Chandler Jones (1)

This was one of the closest awards voted on, and there are even more contenders than what's listed here. In the end, Calais Campbell was able to narrowly edge out Aaron Donald to become the first person to defeat the Rams' defensive tackle all season.

Campbell was the most dominant force on what was the league’s best defense by our metrics. He had 14.5 sacks, second in the league, and added in three forced fumbles. Per Sports Info Solutions (SIS) charting, Campbell finished tied for 12th in individual pass pressures at 41. Campbell also served as a versatile piece in the Jacksonville front, shifting from interior defender to edge rusher as the other players shifted around him.

Donald tied for 11th in sacks, but he was third in the league for individual pressures with 52, per SIS charting. All that came while missing the first game of the season as he didn't really get going until the second half of his first game, and he sat the final game of the year as the Rams rested their starters.

I was the lone vote for Chandler Jones, who led the league in sacks (17.5), quarterback hits (33), and tackles for loss (28) as part of the league’s sixth-best defense by Adjusted Defensive NEP per play.