See our other Cold, Hard Football Facts year-end awards:
The top five on our list are all deserving, but we go with Denver cornerback Champ Bailey.
He had a season like few cornerbacks have ever had, with 74 solo tackles, 10 INTs and 21 passes defended – despite the opposition's reluctance to throw his way.
Cold, Hard Football Facts Top 5 Defensive Player of the Year candidates:
1. Bailey.
2. Shawne Merriman, San Diego. He collected 17 sacks in 12 games and proved his worth when he was out of the lineup: The Chargers allowed 16.3 PPG when he played, 26.7 PPG when he did not.
3. Jason Taylor, Miami. He recorded 13½ sacks and made some memorable plays, including a pair of interception returns for TDs. He stands today as the only player in league history to score at least 7 TDs, register at least 100 sacks and recover more than 20 fumbles in a career.
4. Ed Reed, Baltimore. He didn't have big numbers (52 solo tackles, 5 INTs), but he has supplanted Ray Lewis as the unquestioned leader of the league's best defense.
5. Brian Urlacher, Chicago. The Bears fell apart late in the year, but he did enough work in three quarters of a season to make the list.
