Ranking the 30 best Defensive Player of the Year winning seasons

Ranking the 30 best Defensive Player of the Year winning seasons: 30. 2019 Stephon Gilmore

Stephon Gilmore was absolutely sensational in the 2019 season. The Patriots‘ defense was on another level for most of the season, and Gilmore was clearly the best cornerback in the game. The Patriots had a pretty easy schedule to start the season, and they made opposing quarterbacks look absolutely silly against them.

Many will attribute Gilmore’s inflated stats to his opponents, but don’t get it twisted. He was really good against just about everyone. He had six interceptions that season including two that went the other way for touchdowns. He was helping Tom Brady in his last season in New England score a few extra points. What was more impressive was his 20 pass deflections. Quarterbacks for some reason kept targeting Gilmore despite his ridiculous coverage techniques.

Gilmore had the instincts we haven’t seen since the heyday of cornerbacks from a decade ago. He knows when to jump in front of a receiver, and he doesn’t mind getting physical with players at the line of scrimmage. His speed helped him make up room between the ball and the receiver’s hands if he does make the wrong move on the ball.

It was a controversial choice, as most defensive backs are on the list, but Gilmore was great this season. It was nice to get a year off from giving Aaron Donald the award, and the Patriots used their defense to win. It wasn’t the typical championship team that we’re used to in New England, but Gilmore’s performance deserves recognition.