NFL Protector of the Year Odds and Prediction for 2026 Season: Penei Sewell Set as Favorite

The 2026 NFL season is about to begin, so it's time to dive into the awards markets.

In case you forgot, there is now an award for the offensive lineman called the Protector of the Year. Joe Thuney was the inaugural winner of the award after an impressive season with the Chicago Bears.

This award is arguably the most difficult to try to predict. Unlike other positions, there are few, if any, metrics to look at when trying to figure out who will be the winner. Furthermore, the award is decided by a panel of retired offensive linemen, as opposed to members of the media.

The criteria for the award take five factors into account: skill metrics, impact, leadership, durability, and strength of opponent.

Heading into last year, my strategy was to bet on an offensive tackle, as they are largely looked at as the most important position on the offensive line. That strategy has been tossed out the window after Thuney, a guard, was given the award.

Let's take a look at the odds to win the award in its second year of existence.

2026 NFL Protector of the Year Odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Penei Sewell +460
Tristan Wirfs +1000
Lane Johnson +1000
Joe Alt +1300
Garett Bolles +1300
Creed Humphrey +1500
Jordan Mailata +1500
Trent Williams +1500
Quinn Meinerz +1600
Quenton Nelson +1800
Chris Lindstrom +2000
Rashawn Slater +2000
Tyler Linderbaum +2000
Kolton Miller +2200
Christian Darrisaw +2700
Andrew Thomas +2700
Dion Dawkins +2700
Aaron Brewer +3000
Peter Skoronski +3300
Joe Thuney +3500
Zach Tom +3500
Paris Johnson Jr +4000
Darnell Wright +4000
Kelvin Banks Jr. +5000
Armand Membou +5000
Will Campbell +5000
Charles Cross +5000

Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions is a significant favorite coming into this season. +460 odds give him an implied probability of 17.86% of winning the award. He was one of the favorites heading into last year as well, and while he was named a finalist, he didn't win the award despite being graded as the best tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus and earning first-team All-Pro honors.

NFL Protector of the Year Prediction

While Sewell is the favorite for good reason, the fact that he didn't win it last year makes me think there could be some value further down the board. My strategy this year is not to bet on a guard, with the assumption that the voters will want to spread the award out to a different position in the second year of the competition.

My other strategy is to bet on one of the finalists from last year, knowing that the voters already think highly of those players.

That leads me to Creed Humphrey, the center for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has long been looked at as one of the best centers in the NFL, and he was named a finalist for the award last season. If the Chiefs bounce back in 2026 and return to the playoffs, and if Humphrey's play at center ends up being a pivotal factor in that, I could see the voters giving him the nod.

He's a great bet at his current price tag.

Pick: Creed Humphrey +1500 via FanDuel

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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