DeMarcus Lawrence an Underrated Defensive Player of the Year Candidate?

The Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award has eluded the Dallas Cowboys since 1977 when Harvey Martin last won it. Odds are it will elude them once again in 2020, however, Defensive End DeMarcus Lawrence could be an underrated candidate to break the trend.

The fact DeMarcus Lawrence is coming off a season in which he registered just five quarterback sacks doesn’t exactly scream Defensive Player of the Year potential, but I’m expecting him to rebound in a big way under new Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan. So much so, I think he could be a serious contender to win DPOY in 2020.

Under Mike Nolan, I’m expecting the Dallas Cowboys defense to improve quite a bit. Not only have they brought in more talent to surround D-Law, but they are also expected to be more blitz happy this season. Opposing offenses should no longer be able to simply focus on slowing down DeMarcus Lawrence.

Not so surprisingly though, DeMarcus Lawrence isn’t receiving a lot of hype to become the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year. Right now BetOnline has him outside their Top 10, currently sitting at No. 13. That’s sadly just one spot ahead of Free Agent DE Jadeveon Clowney. I’ll let you read into that what you will.

D-Law is obviously an underrated candidate to win DPOY, but another double-digit sack season like he had in 2017 and 2018 would more likely than not make him one of the favorites. This is especially true considering this is an award that typically goes to the sack leader or on the rare occasion the leader in interceptions.

DeMarcus Lawrence has a long way to go to be the NFL’s QB sack leader in 2020, but with the talent improved around him it’s not out of the realm of possibility. I’ll admit it’s a long shot, however, I for one am not going to take him out of the race before it even starts. I believe he has the talent to break the trend and become the first Dallas Cowboys player to win Defensive Player of the Year since Harvey Martin in 1977.

Can DeMarcus Lawrence win Defensive Player of the Year in 2020?