Making a Case for the NFL's Top 10 Defensive Player of the Year Candidates

Everybody is fawning all over Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady right now. Those who aren’t praising them are probably talking about how great Calvin Johnson, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski are. And then there’s that Tim Tebow fella in Denver too.

But what about defense?!

The old adage is that great defense always stops great offense. Well, it’s true if these guys have anything to say about it.

Starting with the players whose chances are relatively slim all the way up to the current front-runner, here are the 10 favorites to win the de facto defensive MVP award.

No. 10: Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings

Individual Stats: 14.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, one INT, 51 tackles

Team’s Defensive Rankings: 19th overall, T-26th vs. pass, 12th vs. run, 31st in scoring

Allen is having an absolutely dominant season, and if the Vikings were headed for the playoffs, he'd easily be the front-runner for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

But there's just no hope of him winning the award when Minnesota is headed for the worst record in the NFC.

History suggests the award will go elsewhere: Only once since 2002 has the award gone to a player on a team with a losing record, and of the last 20 winners, 18 have been players whose team made the postseason.

It does make you wonder, though, how bad the Vikings defense would be without Allen.

No. 9: Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay Packers

Individual Stats: 55 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, six INT, one TD

Team’s Defensive Rankings: 31st overall, 31st vs. pass, 13th vs. run, 17th in scoring

I'm well aware of the hypocrisy/irony of this entry: Jared Allen's Vikings may have a far worse record, but in every team defensive category, they're much better than Charles Woodson's Packers.

Furthermore, giving the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award to a player on a team with the second-worst defense in football is borderline madness.

But Woodson has continued to make plays for the Packers when they absolutely have to have them.

And as bad as the Packers defense is, when you have a shot at an undefeated record, it will garner some special attention.

No. 8: James Harrison, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Individual Stats: 46 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles

Team’s Defensive Rankings: first overall, second vs. pass, seventh vs. run, fourth in scoring

The orbital bone injury is a major reason why Harrison's individual statistics are far down from his usual totals. He missed four games.

The injuries to LaMarr Woodley, Aaron Smith, James Farrior and Casey Hampton allowed opposing teams to turn more attention to Harrison and limited him from having the big games he customarily has.

This is why he is a decent candidate to win the award for the second time in four years.

Still, if his three-sack performance last week against Cincinnati is any indication of how he'll finish the season, he could garner plenty of additional votes.

No. 7: Johnathan Joseph, CB, Houston Texans

Individual Stats: four INT, 13 pass breakups, 35 tackles, one forced fumble

Team’s Defensive Rankings: second overall, third vs. pass, fourth vs. run, second in scoring

The most important statistic in Joseph's case is not listed above. Here is why he deserves some consideration: THE TEXANS HAD THE NFL'S WORST PASS DEFENSE JUST A YEAR AGO!

Sure, you can look at Wade Phillips' implementation of the 3-4, the additions of J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed or Connor Barwin's rise, but having a cornerback that is as reliable as Joseph is the best way to improve a terrible pass defense.

Still, Joseph is a long shot. Why? The Texans' 2011 schedule includes Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Miami, as well as Tennessee, Jacksonville and Indianapolis twice—nine games against teams with borderline terrible passing attacks.

No. 6: Brian Urlacher, MLB, Chicago Bears

Individual Stats: 72 tackles, three INT, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries

Team’s Defensive Rankings: 20th overall, 28th vs. pass, eighth vs. run, ninth in scoring

Given the responsibility he has in that defense, which has played far better than its rankings indicate, Urlacher should probably be considered a contender for the award every year.

He doesn't record sacks, and he won't lead the NFL in tackles this season, but he's critical in defending both the run and the pass.

In today's NFL, where passing records are under assault, having a linebacker—not a rushing specialist or a defensive back downfield—who does as much against the pass as Urlacher does is invaluable.

No. 5: Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos

Individual Stats: 57 tackles, 10.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries

Team’s Defensive Rankings: 24th overall, 23rd vs. pass, 20th vs. run, 24th in scoring

Don't completely scoff at the comparisons between Miller and Lawrence Taylor, who was also a second overall pick and the only man to win the Defensive Player of the Year award as a rookie.

Overall, the team's defensive stats are below average, but during the Broncos' resurgence, Miller was dominant, and he helped carry the team to victories as much as, if not more than, Tim Tebow.

You needn't look any further than last week in Minnesota: Miller wasn't on the field because of the thumb injury, and the defense allowed 32 points to the Adrian Peterson-less Vikings.

If the Broncos soar towards an improbable playoff berth and Miller grabs a handful of sacks along the way, he has a very good shot. Averaging one sack per week as a rookie would be a great line on the résumé.

No. 4: Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets

Individual Stats: 43 tackles, 13 pass breakups, four INT, one TD

Team’s Defensive Rankings: seventh overall, seventh vs. pass, 15th vs. run, 16th in scoring

If Nnamdi Asomugha can get all the love (and money) over the last few years despite limited stats, then so should Darrelle Revis. Asomugha was regarded as one of the NFL's best despite four interceptions in his last four years with the Raiders, because few opponents would dare challenge him.

The same was true about Revis last year, and even though he has four picks this year, it's largely true again: His pass breakup total is way down from that incredible 2009 season.

The Jets rely so heavily on the blitz because they know that Revis will bail them out every time they don't get to the passer and the man he's covering is targeted. That kind of prowess isn't always measurable on a stat sheet but is a great argument for the NFL's top individual defensive award.

No. 3: DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Dallas Cowboys

Individual Stats: 15 sacks, 42 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery

Team’s Defensive Rankings: 11th overall, 14th vs. pass, ninth vs. run, T-10th in scoring

If Ware is going to win this award, which he came fairly close to taking back in 2008, it will be largely because of what happens in the next four weeks. Bringing down Eli Manning a few times—and leading the Cowboys to the NFC East title in the process—will garner serious attention.

Couple that with the great season he's already had and he could run away with the award.

Ware has 15 sacks right now and is in line to lead the league for a third time in four years. That's something Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas or any other player in history never achieved.

Maybe he's "one-dimensional" and doesn't really contribute in coverage or that much against the run, but when you're that dominant at one thing, it merits consideration.

No. 2: Terrell Suggs, OLB, Baltimore Ravens

Individual Stats: 53 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles, five pass breakups, two INT

Team’s Defensive Rankings: third overall, fifth vs. pass, second vs. run, third in scoring

Suggs does everything for the Ravens.

He contributes plenty against the run, especially since Ray Lewis isn't nearly as dominant as he once was.

He's a tremendous pass-rusher, likely setting a new career high for sacks by the end of this year.

When he's not rushing the quarterback, he's doing a great job defending the pass. 

That interception of Ben Roethlisberger in the Week 9 battle at Heinz Field might prove to be the deciding factor in who wins the AFC North, earns home-field advantage and ultimately appears in Super Bowl XLVI.

No. 1: Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Individual Stats: 93 tackles, two sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 12 pass breakups, one INT

Team’s Defensive Rankings: fourth overall, 16th vs. pass, first vs. run, first in scoring

There's a good chance that the voters are tired of some of the same old faces—Steelers, Ravens, Packers—winning the award...and making the playoffs, for that matter.

That would work to Willis' advantage, but in the end, if he becomes the first 49er to claim the honor since Dana Stubblefield, it's going to be because he has more versatility than anyone else on this list.

He can rush the quarterback, defend the run, play in space against the pass and is one of the most reliable tacklers in the game. (In a league where tackling becomes poorer and poorer each year, don't discount that element.)

If the 49ers finish with the NFL's best scoring defense—which they are in line to do—it's going to be very hard not to vote for him.