Stephon Gilmore Should be NFL Defensive MVP Frontrunner

By now, it's implied that Stephon Gilmore is the best cornerback in the NFL, right? He has shut down No. 1 receivers at an alarming rate on a weekly basis across the last two campaigns, but his dominance in 2019 should see him tabbed as the league's frontrunner for Defensive MVP.

Gilmore's performance in Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys was the final piece of evidence we needed to come to this settlement. Folks, the New England Patriots' stud CB hauled in one more pass (an INT of Dak Prescott) than he allowed Amari Cooper to catch all game.

This marked the first time Cooper was held without a catch since he became a Cowboy, and Gilmore faced him for 26 of his 30 routes on Sunday.

Rendering Cooper useless is something that virtually no other DB in the NFL can say they did. After all, the three-time Pro Bowler came into Sunday's tilt as Pro Football Focus' highest-rated receiver, logging 56 receptions for 886 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games.

Gilmore's stats won't jump off the screen, but that's because quarterbacks know better than to throw his direction. Still, however, he has four interceptions (one of which went for a touchdown) and a team-high 13 passes defended this year.

Our conclusion that Gilmore's deserves the Defensive MVP award goes MUCH deeper than the fact that he's the best defensive player on the best defense in football.

His dominance in coverage this season is one of the best displays we've ever seen in a single season, and the stats prove it.