Meet Jairus Byrd

 

If somebody told to you pick your leader right now for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who would you pick? New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper has six interceptions and three touchdowns on the season. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles while Denver Broncos Elvis Dumervil has 10 sacks. All of these players would be a fine choice for this award, but should we include a rookie in this discussion?

 Buffalo Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd leads the NFL with seven interceptions and Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans was his third straight game with two interceptions. Keep in mind that Byrd has only started five games this season and already has seven interceptions. The former Oregon defensive back is the Bills' MVP this season and is giving the Bills a chance to compete against superior teams. If you never watched him in college, realize that Byrd had 17 interceptions in three years at Oregon and was the West Coast's version of Eric Berry. The Bills have two things to look forward to: The firing of Dick Jauron and the exciting career of  a rookie that is already one of the most dominating defensive players in the NFL.