The AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (DPOY) is presented annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the defensive player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have had the most outstanding season.

The most recent winner of the AP Defensive Player of the Year award is cornerback Patrick Surtain II of the Denver Broncos.

[1] Joe Greene, Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, and Reggie White have each won it twice.

[5] As of the end of the 2024 NFL season, linebackers have won the award seventeen times, more than any other position.

Only two winners of the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award have also won the AP's Most Valuable Player Award for the same season: defensive tackle Alan Page in 1971 for the Minnesota Vikings and linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986 for the New York Giants.