NFL Honors 2012: Who Will Capture Defensive Player of the Year Award?

The NFL is introducing a whole new way to announce their end-of-season awards by hosting a two-hour, prime-time ceremony called NFL Honors.

Along with Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and other prestigious accolades, the Associated Press will name an outstanding contributor the Defensive Player of the Year.

Here is a look at the top candidates. 

Patrick Willis

Willis was the best player on the best defense and therefore automatically becomes the favorite to take home the hardware.

His stats weren’t eye-popping, as he recorded just 97 tackles, an interception, two sacks and four fumbles forced in 13 games.

However, his leadership brought the 49ers to the cusp of the Super Bowl and a 13-3 regular season record, helping to turn around a franchise mired in mediocrity for nearly a decade.

Jared Allen

Had “The Mullet” been on a winning team, he would be a lock to win this award.

His incredible campaign ended with 66 tackles, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, an interception and a ridiculous 22 sacks.

That sack total was .5 short of the record set by Michael Strahan in 2001.

It was an amazing year for Allen, and he should be recognized despite the fact that his team won a paltry three games.

Terrell Suggs

Suggs has already been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and it’s no stretch to see him as the top defenseman in all the NFL.

He was a key cog in the league’s No. 3-ranked defense, and here is why:

The man had 70 tackles, 14 sacks and two interceptions, but his most notable contribution was the seven forced fumbles.

Ball So Hard University’s most famous alumnus was an absolute monster this season and often could pry the ball out of an opposing runner's or QB's hands with ease.

It’s going to be a tight race, and any of these men could win, along with Aldon Smith and Jason Pierre-Paul.

However, if you had to bet, the smart money would be on Patrick Willis.