Who was the best defensive player for the 2015 Atlanta Falcons?

The DW

DPOY: Jonathan Babineaux

No player has been more criminally underrated than Babs. He's been such a consistent leader on the defense, that we almost take it for granted when he's disrupting the pocket or making numerous TFLs. While he didn't look comfortable in a 3-4 look under Mike Nolan, it was clear moving back to his traditional 4-3 3-tech role was a boom for the veteran. Playing reduced snaps kept the savy veteran refreshed throughout the year and allowed him to make an impact when he was in the game. While I can't argue with Trufant as DPOY, I think Babs is at the heart of this defense. He will be missed when he's gone.

Kendall Jackson

Defensive Player of the Year: Desmond Trufant

Not much competition here. Desmond Trufant turned in another great year, although he did have a couple of poor moments. Still, he's easily one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

Caleb Rutherford

DPOY: Desmond Trufant & Robert Alford

With the way the Falcons finished the season, it feels like nobody on defense should win any kind of award, but Trufant - and even Alford - quietly had very solid seasons. Trufant is as good a corner as you'll find, though he stands to improve once he's more comfortable in Quinn's system. In CBs that played 75% of their team's snaps, Trufant only allowed 32 receptions, just one higher than the best in the league (31, Sherman & Peterson). Next on the list? Alford, with 38. Trufant is the superior player, but they both contributed heavily to the defensive success this year and share the DPOY award this year.

Dave Choate

Defensive Player of the Year: Desmond Trufant

He had some uncharacteristic stretches of poor play, but Trufant was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this season, and one of the reasons the Falcons were able to put a reasonably effective defense on the field with zero pass rush and crumbling linebackers.

Scott Carasik

Best Defensive Player: Desmond Trufant

Without the Falcons getting great cornerback play in 2015, the defense would have been torched due to a lack of pass rush. But Desmond Trufant, and to a slightly lesser extent Robert Alford, played out of their minds to give Atlanta one of the best young cornerback duos in the NFL. Their abilities forced teams to attack the middle of the field instead of the outside. Trufant was rarely targeted when he was in there and that alone changes the defense.

Allen Strk

DPOY: Desmond Trufant

Besides struggling against Mike Evans and Allen Robinson, Trufant was an absolute stud this season. It was encouraging to see Quinn allow him to shadow the opposing team's best receiver during the last three games. That should be a trend for years to come, as Robert Alford shouldn't be forced to cover Odell Beckham on an island. Xavier Rhodes was my preferable choice going into the 2013 draft. Thankfully, my opinion was worthless and the front office struck gold with Trufant.

Matthew Chambers

Defensive Player of the Year: Desmond Trufant

He finished with a quality season, and finished another year as Atlanta's best defensive player. But at the same time, there is very little competition. The second best defensive player is probably a tossup between three or four players and an unspecified player signed in free agency.