Stephon Gilmore is leading the ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ race

Stephon Gilmore has established himself as the best cornerback in football, but he’s not settling there. He wants to be the Defensive Player of the Year.

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Stephon Gilmore is the catalyst for all of New England’s success on defense this year because they can rely on him to play man coverage all game, every game on opposing teams number one receiver. Not only can they rely on him to cover them, they can rely on him to completely take that player out of the game. Gilmore’s latest example of this game in Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys when Gilmore was tasked with covering one the top receivers in the league in Amari Cooper. Gilmore, also known as “Gilly Lock”, held Cooper without a catch the entire game, which is the first time that he has not had a single catch in a game since joining the Cowboys in 2018. Gilmore has quietly cemented himself as the best corner in football, and is now making a serious case to be named Defensive Player of the Year, an award that has not been won by a defensive back since Troy Polamaulu won it back in 2010.

Gilmore currently leads the pack with the best odds to win DPOY at +700. Behind him are the Bosa brothers and Aaron Donald, who was nowhere to be found in Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Gilmore has maybe his toughest challenge of the season this week, where he will be responsible for containing Deandre Hopkins, who is in the conversation for the best receiver in football. This will be a matchup to keep your eyes on because if Gilmore can hold Hopkins to a quiet game, he will only separate himself for the rest of the pack in the race for DPOY.

Generally speaking, Gilmore is a pretty soft-spoken guy who keeps his head down and just goes to work but as of late, he has taken to social media to let everybody know he believes he is the best in the game at what he does.

Gilmore has only allowed 19 catches on 53 targets, has not allowed a touchdown, and has four interceptions this season. He is the best lockdown corner in football and if the season ended today, he would win the DPOY.